IN the Handlist of Darwin Papers at the University
Library
Cambridge, item 29 has the general title: MS. notes made on
board H.M.S. Beagle, 1832-6, and 29 (ii) has the sub-title Birds. In the following transcript of these Ornithological Notes it is possible to assess the part played by ornithology in Darwin's
developing thought. The actual dates when these multi-dated notes were
written are of the first importance, with the corrections and additions
as part of the evidence.

The Ornithological Notes were finished by March, 1837, as the following correspondence shows.
They were then in use as drafts for the ornithological matter spread
through thirteen of the twenty-three chapters of the first edition of
the Voyage of the Beagle1 which appeared
as Vol. III of Captain FitzRoy's official account of the voyage,
published by Messrs. Henry Colburn. In March, 1837, Darwin wrote to his
cousin, William Darwin Fox, on the progress of this his first book: "I
am now hard at work and give up everything else for it." (Life and
Letters, I: 279).2 Again in July he wrote to Fox: "I
gave myself a holiday and a visit to Shrewsbury in June as I had
finished my Journal."3 In November of the same year he wrote to Henslow that he was "gazing in
silent admiration at the first page of my own volume when I received it
from the printers!"4 It was through FitzRoy's
procrastination over the other volumes that the actual publication was
delayed until 1839.

Here is concrete evidence that the Ornithological
Notes were finished before March, 1837, for they were then being used as
material to dove-tail into the script for Messrs. Colburn. Thus it is
interesting to note that Darwin did not begin his first Evolution
Notebook, dated 1837, until after he had got the MS. of the voyage
off his mind.5

Darwin,
therefore, either assembled his ornithological data of the voyage after
reaching England in October, 1836, while at the same time unpacking and
sorting his specimens which amounted to thousands, writing up his
geological observations, attending Geological and Zoological Society
Meetings to which he made contributions,

1 Henceforth referred to as B. 1839. Second edition, as B. 1845.

2 Life and Letters of
Charles Darwin,
edited by F. Darwin, 1887, henceforth referred to as L. &
L.

3 L. & L., I: 280.

4 L. & L., I: 288.

5 See Sir Gavin de
Beer's editing
of Darwin's Journal,and of the four Notebooks on
Transmutation of Species, Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural
History), Historical Series 2, Nos. 1-5,
henceforth referred to as B.M. Bull.

and travelling by coach between Cambridge, London and
Shrewsbury; or
else he wrote the bulk of the OrnithologicalNotes during the last period of the voyage, while still out of reach of
libraries and expert opinion. Some alterations and additions were found
to be necessary when he got in touch with professional scientists in
England. I believe that the second alternative is the correct one,
partly from the evidence of the Notes themselves, which will
be given in footnotes as the evidence occurs; partly from the whole
lay-out of the Ornithological Notes, and the opportunities he had for leisurely writing during the last part
of the voyage—leisure entirely lacking after his return. To me they are
clearly an early assemblage of his personal experiences, written with
the red-hot memory of the living bird round the skeleton list of
specimens. It must be remembered that, owing to the circumstances of
the voyage, and FitzRoy's meticulous conscience over his surveying
duties, the Beagle's course along the coasts and islands of
South America during the three and a half years spent on her eastern
and western shores, was a very devious one. This gave Darwin the
perfect opportunity for observing the distribution and limitations of
species. In my view, towards the end of those three and a half years,
the questions Darwin was asking were those of an evolutionist, and the
belief that he collected facts at random is without foundation. Darwin
is himself partly responsible for the assertion sometimes made that
this was so. In a letter to Hooker, written in January, 1844, (L.
& L., II: 23) famous in the history of their friendship and of Darwin's slow
and almost disingenuous avowal of his own revolutionary ideas, he says:
"I was so struck with the distribution of the Galapagos organisms,
etc., etc., and with the character of the American fossil mammifers,
etc., etc., that I determined to collect blindly every sort of fact,
which could bear any way on what are species." But no collection of
facts with a set purpose is blind. The Ornithological Notes show how he was collecting, not blindly, but impartially, every sort of
fact bearing on what are species.

The following chronological record of drafts of the
ornithological
passages culminating in the Voyage of the Beagle, will help
to place the Ornithological Notes in their true perspective.
Some confusion may have arisen from Darwin's dated record of his
ornithological work in the early Journal, pp. 8 and 9, edited
by Sir Gavin de Beer (Bull. B.M. (N.H.) No. 1). These
references in the years 1837 to 1839 allude to the work in which he was
then engaged for the Zoology of the Beagle, 1841, draft VI of
the following list.

I.
Firstly, there are the jottings in the twenty-four small 3" x 4"
pocketbooks he carried with him on his expeditions. Birds figure hardly
at all in the first year, but in the second and third years in South
America, the bird entries increase, and show how he was already noting
specific differences and changes of habitat. Of these small
pocketbooks, some are unfortunately missing.1

II. Secondly, there are the largely unexplored contents of
Vols. 29
i, 30 i and ii, and 31 i and ii of the C.U.L. Handlist. These
contain the "rough notes" to which Darwin alludes in the Ornithological
Notes MS. 69; and in B. 1839, p. 353; and in B.
1845, p. 289.2 The four volumes, 30 i and ii, and 31 i and ii, are written partly on

1 See Charles Darwin and
the Voyage
of the Beagle, ed. N. Barlow, 1945. Referred to as V. of B., 1945.

2 I have been greatly helped in this identification by Dr. Sydney Smith
and Dr. Robert Stauffer. I have annotated with Dr. Sydney Smith's
initials (S. S.) special points of indebtedness. See footnotes, p. 259
below.

Whatman paper dated 1828, and certainly antedate the Ornithological
Notes. In them Darwin refers to his Personal Journal of the Beagle1 as though these volumes were being written contemporaneously, and we
know that he wrote up his Diary of the Beagle as soon as he had the leisure. Volumes 30 i and ii, 31 i and ii contain
notes on all his specimens, and will form an important link when fully
explored, for they are the drafts from which Darwin must have compiled
the Ornithological Notes during the last periods of the
voyage home. A few examples will be given, comparing equivalent
passages of the Ornithological Notes and the earlier drafts.
(See p. 259, and the Appendix on the Petise.)

III. Thirdly, there are the present Ornithological
Notes, which I believe to be the assemblage of his ornithological knowledge
gained on the South American continent and the surrounding islands,
including the Galapagos Archipelago, and begun probably in 1834, and
continued to the end of the voyage. The order is still basically that
of his specimen numbers, and therefore chronological, and both
numbering and the matter are based on Vols. 31, i and ii, C.U.L.
Handlist. (See Editor's Note, Specimen Numbers, p. 208.) The material begins to be
assessed as a whole, with comparisons and generalizations; back
references and forward references are given, with "vide suprà" or "vide
infrà" written with a number indicating the related or identical
species. Sometimes numbers are referred to ahead of those in the
marginal sequence; this is wholly in keeping with the belief that they
were written during the last year of the voyage with his "rough notes"
before him. He added three specimens to his list after leaving the
Galapagos. The last four chapters of the Voyage of the Beagle are birdless, except for the interest in the species that visited or
inhabited the islands at which they called.

IV. Fourthly, the first edition of The Voyage of the
Beagle,
1839 (B. 1839). The ornithological passages occur in 13
of the 23
chapters, and are taken, often with slight alterations, from the Ornithological
Notes. All the longer discussions and descriptions occur, except
that on the Frigate Bird. (See Footnote, p. 267.) Cross
references will be given to page numbers in B. 1839, and B.
1845.

V. Fifthly, the second edition of the Beagle, published by John Murray in 1845 (B. 1845). Here the
ornithological
entries are mainly the same as in IV, with some curtailment and rather
more alteration from the Ornithological Notes. It is worth
noting how the terms "creation" and "centres of creation" are still
retained in B. 1845—a comment often made by others. But it
has not, I
think, been noted that the creationist passages centering round his
Galapagos experiences, originated earlier in the discussion on the
ranges of bird distribution, see B. 1839, p. 353; B. 1845, p. 289; Ornithological Notes MS. p. 69 and Appendix.
As
Sir Gavin de Beer has pointed out in the Evolutionary Notebooks (Bull.
B.M. (N.H.)),
Darwin had grasped the principle of Natural Selection some time before
he read Malthus in September, 1838, so that we can watch the progress
of Darwin's developing thought and the gradual removal of obstacles in
those Notebooks. Still earlier, the Ornithological Notebooks show that
Darwin was groping for an evolutionary concept whilst still on board,
but without the illuminating light of Natural Selection. The experience
of the Galapagos Archipelago was not isolated, but was a culmination of
the American

three
and a half years, which I believe made him a confirmed believer in
descent with modification. In his wanderings he had become physically
and mentally aware of the biological barriers of sea, sterile plain and
the Cordillera Range, and the part they played in geographical
isolation; the succession of forms was there before his eyes, but he
had not yet found his working model of Natural Selection.

VI. Sixthly and finally follows the Zoology of the
Beagle, Vol. II, 4to, published with the help of a Government grant in 1841.1 Here the description of species and genera are by John Gould2;
whilst the habits and ranges are by Darwin. The arrangement is of
course systematic, and more scientific detail is given than in either
stages IV or V. As Gould was obliged to leave England for his travels
in Australia in 1838, while the volume was in preparation, G. R. Gray,
ornithological assistant in the Zoological Department of the British
Museum, took on the remaining descriptions; but in his Preface Darwin
has greatly underrated his own share, consisting of the habits and
ranges. These still follow closely the Ornithological Notes, but are enlarged with newly acquired knowledge. Where in the Ornithological
Notes he had been puzzled in his amateur ignorance of nomenclature and
relationship, expert opinion when he reached England fully justified
his untrained perception. Vol. II of the Zoology of the Beagle can claim to be more than an ornithological traveller's record, for it
has become a fundamental step in his evolutionary purpose.

Darwin was one of the first to use observations of
behaviour in
species diagnosis. It was probably whilst working at Zoology of
the Beagle, 1841, that he wrote in Notebook II, p. 82 (Bull.
B.M. (N.H.) 2,
No. 3, p. 91) "Gould I see quite recognises habits in making out
classification in birds"—as though he were almost surprised. Already,
as a boy (C.U.L. Handlist 129) and in the small travel
pocketbooks, his powers of perception of more than the formal
attributes can be noticed, and his sympathetic participation in the
lives of the creatures he observed helped him to understand their
habits; form, function, adaptation and behaviour are all brought to
bear on the living aspect of each species in its own surroundings.

There are some echoes of the Ornithological Notes in The Origin, of which there are no traces in The Voyage of the Beagle, drafts IV and V of the above list, and only slight mention in VI. This
is particularly so in the case of the Frigate Bird's vestigial
characters, showing how early such questions were in his mind, waiting
for a fuller evolutionary answer. The corrected Frigate Bird passage,
MS. p. 79, Ornithological Notes, runs: "The bird never
touches the water with its wings, or even with its feet; indeed I have
never seen one swimming on the sea; one is led to believe that the
deeply indented web between its toes is of no more use to it than are
mammae or the marsupial bones [added] in the male sex of certain
animals; or the shrivelled wings beneath the wing-cases firmly
soldered
together of some Coleopterous beetles." This passage may have been
added later; but I think they record his reactions to immediate
observations of function, and therefore of useless vestigial characters.

As far as I know, the only extracts that have been
previously
published from the Ornithological Notes are my own on the
fauna of archipelagoes, firstly in a letter to

Nature, 7th September, 1935, and in Charles
Darwin and
the Voyage of the Beagle, 1945, p. 246. Dr. Himmelfarb has
questioned the early dating of the Ornithological Notes in
her Darwin and the Darwinian Revolution (1959), Note 25, p.
384. Those who are interested should examine her arguments in the light
of this transcript.

The
passage referred to above on the fauna of archipelagoes (see p. 74
MS.), which in my belief was written in the year 1836, shows how far
his ideas had reached. These ideas were constantly both guiding and
receiving feed-backs from his observations during the vital South
American years of the voyage. It is as though he were on the bank of a
stream, discovering that all the floating straws were pointing one way;
the stream of evolution explained a whole concourse of facts. In the
drafts, stages I to III, described in this Introduction, many of these
signs are at first only dimly apprehended; with Darwin's increasing
certainty, species and their distribution in time and space, changes of
form in relation to function, became the driving forces in his
observations. This early underlying sense of the significance of these
questions and the chances he had to test them during his travels
throughout the vast South American continent, laid the foundations for
his whole life's work.

If it is agreed that the main writing of the Ornithological
Notes was completed on board, then I think it must be conceded that a concept
of general laws of evolutionary development to replace the terms
"creation" and "centres of creation" must have been consciously
sought
at the time. It is well known that these terms still found their place
in The Origin of Species, 1859 (1st edition), p. 352. In
March, 1863, Darwin wrote to J. D. Hooker: "… I have long regretted
that I truckled to public opinion, and used the Pentateuchal term of
'creation', by which I really meant 'appeared' by some wholly
unknown
process." (L. & L., III: 18.) Darwin here repeats the
word "Pentateuchal" from a review of Carpenter's Introduction to
the Study of Foraminifera, in The Athenaeum of March, 1863, in which the reviewer discusses Darwin's theories and
his use of the word "creation". Written in 1863, I think that Darwin
could hardly have meant "long regretted" to apply only to these
phrases
in the Origin, but that his mind was reverting to the more
distant past of the Voyage of the Beagle and his dawning
hypotheses of those early years.

In the Ornithologial Notes Darwin's developing
theories,
already traced after 1837 in the Notebooks edited by Sir Gavin de Beer (Bull.
B.M. (N.H.) 2, Nos. 2-5), can now be followed back a stage further to the voyage
itself. It is significant to mark the frequency of the references to
the Petise story (Rhea), and to the Galapagos Archipelago, in the four
Transmutation Notebooks.

EDITOR'S NOTE

Handwriting. The Ornithological
Notes are mainly written in Darwin's more legible handwriting, except for a
few almost indecipherable amendments. Spelling mistakes have been
retained, as their corrections in the later years supply evidence of
dating. The first page and two lines on the reverse are written in Syms
Covington's handwriting; Covington was "Fiddler and boy to Poop cabin"
at the beginning of the voyage, and became Darwin's amanuensis in the
second year, when Darwin taught him to shoot and skin birds. He
continued in Darwin's

service
after the Beagle's return to England. Darwin's handwriting begins at
the bottom of MS., p. 1, with five lines and vertical marginal note.

Specimen Numbers. Darwin recorded his specimens collected on the voyage, in all branches
of natural history, as one numerical continuity, chronologically listed
in Vols. 30 and 31, C.U.L. Handlist. The separate specimens
in spirits were recorded in another series, entered in six notebooks
labelled "Cat. Specimens in Spirits", now preserved at Down House
(S.S.). The Ornithological Notes are written round the
framework of these two series of numbers, consecutive, but not
continuous, the intervening blanks referring to types of biological
specimens other than birds. Covington starts with number 185, and with
only nine intervening figures, Darwin takes over at 711, when the same
bird, Scolopax-Perdrix, had to be considered in the light of later
finds. The last numbered bird is a land-rail from the Galapagos, number
3951.

Punctuation. Darwin's punctuation has been
followed, except for some omission of full-stops. Their frequency in
mid-sentence can hinder the reader in understanding Darwin's meaning.
Where they suggest a pause for thought, I have sometimes replaced them
by dash or comma. But in deleted passages given in footnotes, I have
left them in as they were written.

Pagination. Darwin gave a central heading to each MS. page, sometimes adding date
and place. To prevent interruption for the reader, these are placed in
the left margin, as well as the new MS. page numbers. The end of each
MS. page is marked by a vertical line in the text.

Darwin's
added notes are usually written on the verso of the MS. sheet, the
place of insertion indicated by a letter in the margin of the recto.
The page numbers are in Darwin's hand, except for five, all numbered
twos, which I have omitted, as they do not fit into this series.
Darwin's page numbers run from 1 to 85, with an accidental duplication
of 46. Notes 82A and 85A (error for 83A), were originally stuck with
sealing-wax to the bottoms of pp. 82 and 83 respectively, which I
discovered from their contexts in the photostats, beautifully confirmed
by the residues of the sealing-wax (S.S.). The photostat pages from
which I have mainly worked, consist of 131 sheets; many of the 85
numbered pages have notes on their reverses, sometimes of only a few
lines, which had to be photostated as separate pages.

Watermarks. The paper is J. Whatman 1834
throughout (S.S.).

Deletions, Footnotes, Brackets. Alterations of the text show changes of mind, and I have therefore
given the uncorrected texts for comparison with the final versions, and
have dealt with deletions in two ways. Short alterations I have placed
in square brackets: [would fall del]; or [Altered from:
is perhaps the most abundant.]. When longer passages or whole arguments
have been altered, I have placed the original version in a footnote. In
some cases I have used the footnote for emphasizing the evidence, and
occasionally I have made my own communications in the text in italics,
and within square brackets. In an Appendix I have collected further
information on the importance of the Petise story in Darwin's mind,
taken from one of the early travel notebooks, and from No. 31 i, in the

C.U.L. Handlist; these supplement and precede
the
versions
already given in the Ornithological Notes.

Square
brackets and italics are my additions, and round brackets are Darwin's
own. Occasionally Darwin made use of the square bracket, differentiated
in the text by a large, distinct, square bracket.

Acknowledgments. I am indebted to the Librarian of the Cambridge University Library, Mr.
H. R. Creswick, for giving me every facility in the Library, besides
providing me with photostats from which I could work at home. Mr. P. J.
Gautrey was most helpful in the Anderson Room, where Dr. Robert
Stauffer's experience was also available. In the British Museum
(Natural History), Mr. A. C. Townsend's counsel was most useful, whilst
Miss Skramovsky, well-versed in reference hunts, came to my help. Sir
Gavin de Beer gave valuable time at an early stage, and his suggestions
were incorporated. Mrs. Roberton has typed for me from difficult
drafts; finally Dr. Sydney Smith and Miss Sybil Fountain have given
precious time on innumerable occasions, both of whom I cannot thank
enough.

Itinerary of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle from
27th
December, 1831, to 2nd October, 1836.

The
dates are given of the arrivals and departures from the ports of call;
the periods on land when the main collections of specimens were made,
can thus be easily compared with the long weeks at sea, when the
material was being examined and written up.

[First page not in
Darwin's handwriting; probably Syms
Covington's, his servant on the
Beagle, and copyist and assistant
until 1839.] Jan. 9.

1832:

Birds. St. Jago.

185

These birds were shot in
neighbourhood of Porto Praya from
16th. of Jany. to 7 of Feby. Gull.

188

Cock bird common in the
interior in the table land in small
flocks; females of the same colour
as back of bird, — runs like a lark.

189

Uncommon. Sparrow.

190

The commonest bird on the
island, generally in small flocks,
both round the houses and in wild
desolate places.

192
cop1

Valleys, where there is no
water, but still more abundant
near water as at St. Domingo. Their
stomachs contain wings etc of
Orthopterous insects;
and one was caught with a lizard in its craw. It is a solitary tame
bird and has not the swift flight of the European species. It is the
only brilliantly coloured bird in the island.

413

Eggs of the Booby, and a
smaller mottled one of the Noddy.
St. Pauls. April.

455

Krotophagus.2 In
the stomach were numerous remains
of various Orthopterous and some Coleopterous insects. Rio de Janeiro.
May.

683

Fringilla. M. Video. August.

694

Numenius, in habits like a
Jack Snipe; swamps.

685

Alauda.
This bird flies upwards, and then suddenly falls and with its wings
expanded like some Titlarks in England in Spring time. M. Video. August.

710

[del., Vaginalis [?] — vide
99.] Bahia Blanca Septr. St. Jago

MS.1(a)

The Island abounds with
hawks, and a small Wren with Quails
and Guinea fowl.

[At
the bottom of MS. page 1 are five lines in Darwin's handwriting, which
continues throughout the rest of the Notes. Opposite these lines in the
margin is a vertical addition: Tinochorus Eschscholtzii Is. G.
St.
Hilaire cf Lesson.3The rest of the summary of
specimen 710 in the light of later knowledge continues on
MS.
pp. 2 and 3.] Scolopax-Perdrix-Specimens (1224. & 1273) (in spirits 338 &
707). This bird is found in the whole of Southern S America, wherever
there are arid sterile plains,

1Cop written in margin after a specimen number is always in C. D.'s
handwriting, presumably indicating a direction to his copyist,
Covington.

2 Krotophagous. Not in O.E.D. In the small pocketbooks Darwin carried with him on expeditions inland,
he coins the word "omni-stercivorous" for dung-eating Coleoptera;
date,
4th September, 1833.

3 The vertical
addition referring to Lesson and Geoffroy St. Hilaire appear to be an
addition of a later date; the pen and ink are different. Darwin calls
these birds Scolopax-Perdrix throughout the Notes, emphasizing his
sense of their ambiguous taxonomic position. Their numbers in his
specimen list are: 711, 712, 1224 and 1273, the last collected at
Maldonado in May-June, 1833. This summary of his knowledge of Tinochorus
Eschscholtzii over the whole South American continent must
therefore have been written after Sept. 7th, 1835, when the Beagle left
Lima.
In Zoology of Beagle, 1841, Darwin writes: "In the Appendix Mr. Eyton has given an
anatomical
description of this bird, which partly confirms that affinity both to
the Grallatores and Razores, which is so remarkable in its habits and
general appearance."

or open dry pasture land.
At Maldonado, on the Northern shore
of the Plata, it is not uncommon;
but on | the great plains, near
the Sierra Ventana
it is abundant. We saw it in the inland plains of S. Patagonia at S.
Cruz in Lat: 50°. On the western side of the Cordilleras, at the most
southern part, where the forests cease & an open country commences
at Concepcion we find this bird. — It occurs throughout the whole of
Chili; & at Copiapò, it frequents the most desolate places, where
scarcely another living creature can exist. In its habits &
Structure it seems allied to the two genera of Scolopax & Perdrix.
They are found either in pairs, or in small flocks of five or six; but
in the great plains near the Ventana, I saw as many as 30 & 40 in
one flock. — Upon being approached, they [lie del] squat
close to the ground, & are then difficult to be distinguished. When
feeding, they walk rather slowly, with their legs wide apart, like
Quails. — they dust themselves in roads, or sandy places. — they
frequent particular (dry) [added] spots, and day after day may be found
there. I observed this fact both at Maldonado & in Chili. From
their squatting habits, they often rise unexpectedly close to a person.
— When a pair are together, one may be shot, without the other rising.
— The whole flock always rises together, & each bird utters a
squeak like a snipe. — From their long scapulars, when on the wing,
they fly just like snipes. — Hence all the Sportsmen of the Beagle
called them 'short-billed snipes.' When once on the wing the flock
generally flies to a distance, with a high irregular flight. —
Occasionally I have seen them soar, like a covey of partridges.

MS.
3

— At Maldonado | I opened
the stomachs of a great many
specimens, &
found nothing but vegetable matter; this chiefly consisted of bits of
a
thick rushy grass; pieces of the leaves of some plant, & grains of
quartz. The contents of the intestines and dung. is of a very bright
green colour. — At another time of year. & at another place, I
found the craw full of small seeds. & a single Ant. — The birds [altered
almost illegibly to:
those I opened] were exceedingly fat. & with a strong offensive
game odor. — they are however said to be excellent eating.. — Pointers
set them. In the plains south of the Plata, I was told they make their
nests near the borders of lakes.. & lay five or six white eggs.
spotted with red. — The covering of the nostrils is soft. — Some of the
specimens have a black mark like a yoke on their breasts; I believe
these to be the males. Is the black yoke, like the red Horse shoe of
the English Partridge? In la Plata the Spaniards call them 'Avecasina
'.
— I have seen them over a space of twenty three degrees of latitude.

711

Tail feathers from another,
to repair the above specimen

712 cop

Charadrius … Bahia
Blanca. N. Patagonia: Sept. 1832

713 cop

Podiceps. iris of eye
'scarlet red', live in flocks. in the
channels amidst the salt marshes. — do

745 cop

Sterna

Hab. do.

746 cop

Hirundo, not very common,
builds in holes in a cliff near the
sea. — I

do. Perhaps the male of the
last bird, but they | were not
shot together. They are by far the
commonest land bird in the Islands —

1048

Scolopax.
common over the whole island; the soil is almost everywhere so damp,
& soft, that this bird can feed. — Flight perhaps not quite so
rapid
or irregular as the English species. —

1053 cop

Sylvia. Hab. do. — Beak
& legs large in proportion to
size of body; lives
in the coarse herbage, on the peaty soil, close to the ground. — I
never saw a bird so difficult to make to fly: frequently having marked
one down to within a few yards in the open plain, I could by no means
obtain another glimpse of it.—Troglodytes Platensis [In margin,
added later.]

Sturnus ruber. Hab: do. On
the east side of S. America. I
saw this bird from Lat 31° to these
island[s] in 52°.

cop

And on the west coast as
far North as Lima in 12°. — A space
of 40° degrees! — (a) [Note
added on reverse of page.]
Abundant in Chili called Loyca by Molina; is said to build on the
ground. —

1147: 1148.
cop

Scolopax. Hab: do. —
feeding in flocks on the mud banks at
head of Port Louis

1160 cop

Falco, probably the male of
(1054); as these are the only
sorts common in the Falklands.

1833
A.D.1200.
cop

May-June: Maldonado. on
the N: shore of La Plata Furnarius
rufus. Commonly called Oven bird,
& by the Spaniards Casita or
house maker. The nest is placed in the
most exposed situations. on the top
of a post, on a stem of Cactus, or on
a bare rock.

Maldonado
MS. 6

The nest is composed
of mud & bits of straw, it is strong
& the sides thick: in shape
it resembles an oven; the section being
that of a hemisphere, with one end |
truncated; the
opening is large & arched. — within the nest. & directly in
front
of this, there is a partition. which reaches nearly to the roof, so as
to form an antechamber or passage to the true nest. — Now. at the end
of May. is busy in building. — The bird is very common, often near
houses & amongst bushes. walks or runs (I mean
in
contradistinction to hopping), is active in its habits, feeds on
Coleoptera insecta; utters loud, peculiar shrill, reiterated crys. —

1201

Icterus, Exceedingly
abundant in large flocks, generally
making much noise: habits resemble
those of the starling. Is found also
at the R. Negro. Lat 40°

1202
cop

Anthus. resembling in most
of its habits a lark; very
common, not in flocks, will alight on a
twig. Builds on the ground, nest
simple: eggs (1592) spotted &
clouded with red. —

MS. 6(a)

(a) eggs spotted
with red two of them in (1592) [Added
on reverse of 6a]

1203

Scolopax. Flight irregular
as in Europe, makes a singular
drumming noise
as it suddenly stoops downwards in its flight; this it frequently
repeats whilst flying round & round in a lofty circle. — I have
seen a snipe in England in the summer time behave in the very same
manner. —

1204 cop

Not very common: iris
bright red. —

1205
cop

Very abundant, a most
beautiful bird; sits on a twig or
thistle; habits like a Lanius, but
not noisy, or so active. — Both
this & last species appear to catch
most of the insects on the wing. —
Frequent the
open unwooded country. The female has some grey on her back &
shoulders. — |

lish
flycatcher, but does not so generally return to the very same twig.
Also occassionally feeds on the turf, in stomach coleoptera chiefly
Curcǔlio's. Beak, eye-lid. & iris beautiful primrose yellow. — This
bird is common over the Pampas, even so far as Mendoza at the foot of
the Cordillera; it has not however crossed that barrier into Chili. —

1207

Fringilla, common amongst
the reeds in swamps; loud shrill
cry; flight clumsy, as if the
tail was disjointed: base of bill
dusky orange. —

1208 cop

Arenaria. on sea beach

1209

Fringilla very abundant in
large flocks, is female specimen.
— Male with head & gorge jet
black, colours more brilliant. —

1210
cop

Alcedo. not uncommon;
& on the banks of the Parana
exceedingly numerous.
Frequents borders of lakes & rivers; sits on a branch or stone,
takes short flights & dashes into the water to secure its prey. Its
flight is neither remarkably direct or rapid, as the Europaean species,
but rather weak & undulating, as one of the soft billed birds; in
its course, suddenly arrests itself, & hovers over the water. As
might be expected from its figure, does not sit in the stiff &
upright manner, of the Europaean species; when seated on a twig
perpetually elevates & depresses its tail. — Note low, like the
clicking of two small stones. Is said to build in trees: In stomach
fish, internal coating of that organ bright orange.

1211

Icterus pecoris; common in
flocks often mingled with Icterus
(1201).

1212Maldonado
MS. 8

Frequently alights on the
back | of cattle. In the same
flock, there are commonly brown specimens
(1212). Are those one year old
birds, as amongst Sturnus vulgaris?
or females?. — In a large flock
sitting on a hedge,
basking & pluming themselves in the sun. I heard many of them
attempting to sing or hiss for I do not know what to call it. — The
noise was very peculiar resembling bubbles of air from a small orifice
passing through water, but rapidly, so as to produce an acute sound. I
at first thought it came from Frogs. — N.B. This egg was obtained at B.
Blanca it may possibly belong to other species, which I do not know
whether I distinguished [Later insertion from N.B.]

1213

(same as 2169: 70). This
bird has a wide geographical range,
being found [almo del.]
wherever the country is open & tolerably dry. On the east coast I
met with it everywhere from Lat: 31°. to 50° in Southern Patagonia; [altered
from: I saw it everywhere from Lat: 31° to Southern Patagonia in the
valley of S. Cruz.] On the West coast it is likewise abundant from Lima
(12°) to Concepcion (37°)

G1
MS. 8(a)

It is exceedingly common
both in La Plata
& Chili: {in the former country
[it is del.] being known by the name
of
Callandria [corrected to Calandria] & in

1 A capital G appears in the margin both at the beginning and end of the
large square bracket, the significance of which I cannot explain. The
substance occurs both in Beagle '39 and Beagle '45.
Possibly it was for inclusion in Z. of B., '41.

the latter [of del.]
by Thenca (Molina).1 It frequents thickets & hedges, & is very active, whilst
quickly hopping about, its tail is often expanded and much used. — Near
Maldonado, these birds are tame & bold; they constantly frequent
in numbers the country houses, to pick the meat; which is hung up on
the posts or walls. — If
any other small bird joins in the feast, the
Calandria directly chases him away. On the wide uninhabited plains of
Patagonia another closely allied species appears rather wilder; it
there commonly haunts the valleys clothed with spiny bushes on the
higher twigs of which it takes its stand.} [End of
large bracket
G.

MS. 8(b)

Beginning of
Note b.] It appears to me a
curious circumstance as
showing the fine shades of difference in habit, that when I first saw
the second species inhabiting the plains near the Rio I thought it was
different from the Maldonado species. Having procured a specimen, they
were so similar, that I changed my opinion, but now Mr. Gould, [who was
not aware of these facts del.] pronounces them to be distinct
kinds, in conformity with the trifling differences of habits, of which
however
he was not aware. [End
of Note (b)]2 — Its cry is harsh. In the Spring it sings
prettily.

Maldonado
MS. 9

Molina has3 |
however much exaggerated the
charms of the song, which may be compared to that of the Sedge-warbler.
It is more powerful; some harsh notes. & some very high ones are
mingled with a pleasant warbling. The song is remarkable, as being far
superior to that of any other South American bird; indeed I have not
heard any other bird, which properly perches itself to give continuous
music. — Molina has described the nest of the Thenca, as possessing a
long passage; but I am assured by the country people, that it is a
simple large nest, built externally of the prickly branches of Mimosa. —

1214 cop

Limosa. legs yellow, shot
near a lake

1215 cop

Sylvia shot in a garden

1216
cop

Exceedingly abundant, its
habits generally like the Butcher
bird. — But I have often seen it hunting a field, like a hawk, by hovering over one spot. &
then proceeding onwards to another. When
thus in the air, & seen
from the distance, very closely resembles a hawk; it does not

1 The passages contained in the two additions (a) and (b) on p. 8a MS.,
were much corrected, with many erasures. The text before emendments is
here given for comparison: "It frequents thickets & hedges, is a
very active bird in its habits in its manner of [hopping del.]
running (?) about, & expanding its tail features [presumably
slip for feathers] reminded me of our magpie. Near Maldonado they are fierce
tame & bold; constantly frequent the country houses to pick the
meat, which is hung up on the posts or walls. — If any other small bird
joins in the feast, the Callandria directly chaces him away. On the
great plains of Patagonia the bird appears much wilder; it there
commonly haunts the valleys, clothed with spiny bushes. — Although this
bird is placed amongst the thrushes in many of its habits, & manner
of catching its prey, it seems allied to the Butcher Birds. —" Clearly
the final emendations of Note b were made after receiving Mr. Gould's
report on his return.

2 This is an example of the
accuracy of
his early field impressions receiving confirmation by the experts. See B. '39, p. 63, and B. '45, p. 55. M. d'Orbigny had already
described the two species as distinct. See footnote, B. '39,
p. 63. For d'Orbigny see p. 242.

3 The last lines on the song of
Thenca on
MS. 8 are deleted, probably in error. In the Beagle editions
the comments on the song precede the main description. See Molina, History
of Chili, 1809.

however
stoop so suddenly. Again commonly it haunts the neighbourhead of water,
& will in one place remain like a kingfisher stationary, it thus
catches small fish which happen to come near the Margin. — Its flight
is undulatory. & as if weighed down by the weight of the Bill. In
the evening this bird seats itself on a branch & continually
repeats, without any alteration, a shrill & rather agreeable cry,
which somewhat resembles articulate words. The Spaniards, say it is
like the words 'Bien te veo' (I see you well). & accordingly have
given this name to this Bird. —

MS. 9
(verso)

(a) | From
their tameness, their cunning odd
manners are frequently kept by children. — |

MaldonadoMS. 10

1217.1218

Xanthornus Common in large
flocks. —

1219

Psittacus. Feeds in large
flocks in the open plains; are
very destructive to cornfields. I was told
that in one year. near Colonia del
Sacramiento. 2500 were killed.

cop

They build their nests
close together in trees; the whole
composing one vast mass of small sticks.
On the islets on the Parana I saw
many of these compound nests.

1220

In small flocks feeding on
the plains, in its flight &
habits resembling our field-fares: Hops (not
walk).
in stomach seeds & ants. At Bahia Blanca I saw this bird pursuing
& catching on the wing large coleoptera; iris rich brown, —

1221

cop

Himantopus, legs rose pink.
This bird is very numerous, in
small; & sometimes
in tolerably large flocks. on the great swampy plains & fens
between the Sierra Ventana & B. Ayres. The genus has been
wrongfully accused of inelegance; the appearance of one of these birds
when walking about shallow
water, which appears to be its
favourite resort, is far from awkward.—Their cry
is curiously alike to a little dog giving tongue when in full chace. — Often when at night sitting
round our fire in those exposed plains, I have paused to discriminate
between the two sounds. —

1222
cop

Furnarius. — This bird has
a considerable distribution. On
the East coast, it occurs from 30°
(& perhaps in this & many
other cases those bird[s] which
frequent plains. reach much further to
the North, to the extreme limit of the great
central plains) to 40°.

MS. 11

I never saw
| a specimen further
South than this. On the west coast, it occurs from Concepciòn (where
open country commences) 37°. to as far (at least) as Lima in 12°. — It
constantly haunts the dryest plain parts, away from bushes & trees.
Sand dunes, near the sea coast afford a very favourite resort. At
Maldonado & at Bahia Blanca it is very abundant, it is very tame,
most quiet solitary little bird; being disturbed only flies to a very
short distance. Is active early in the mornings & late in the
evenings (like Robin) [added]: is fond of dusting itself in a road: walks. but cannot run. very quickly; in stomach small Coleoptera,
chiefly Carabidous insects. At certain times it frequently utters a
peculiar shrill, but

gentle, quickly reiterated
cry (so quickly reiterated as to
make one [running added]
sound). In this respect resembles the Oven bird, but as widely differs
in its quietness, from that active bird. — It builds its nest at the
bottom of a narrow cylindrical hole, which is said to extend
horizontally to nearly six feet long. Several country men, told me,
that when boys they had attempted to dig out the nests, but from their
depth had nearly always failed. — The bird chooses any low little bank
of firm sandy soil, by the side of a road or stream. At Bahia. Blanca,
I saw a thick mud wall, which surrounded a house, which had
been perforated by these birds in more than a score of places. When I
asked the owner the cause, I had no idea, it was the work of our little
friend. This affords a curious instance of want of reasoning powers;
for I saw several repeatedly flying
from one to the other side of the
wall.— |

MS.
11 (a)verso

(a) (721) in spirits a specimen
|

Maldonado

MS.
12

The Spaniards call this
bird Casarita, as the oven bird
Casara, although the
very habit, of housemaking, from which the name is derived is in this
case deficient. It shows the Gauchos have observed the Natural affinity
of the two species.

1223
cop

Perdrix; does not live in
covies, [but generally in pairs. added]
runs more & does not lie so
close as the English Partridge;
not a high shrill chirp
or whistle: — When riding through the country great numbers,
(generally in pairs) may be seen, as when at a short distance they take
no pains to conceal themselves. They are silly birds; a man on
horseback by riding in a circle or rather in a spire, round &
round, each time closer & closer, so bothers the bird, that it may
be knocked on the head, or noosed by a running knot. at the end of a
long stick, with the greatest ease. — [? Alpine var written in
margin]
Flesh most delicately white, when cooked more so than that of Pheasant,
but rather dry & flavourless. — Egg (1378) V. account of Partridge
(2159) & its egg, at Valparaiso. —

1224

Scolopax-Perdrix. see
account suprà. —

1226
cop

Certhia, does not [much added]
use its tail, yet
often alights vertically on the reeds &
other
aquatic plants, which grow round the
borders of lakes, — its resort is
amongst such thickets. — iris rusty
red. —

1227
cop

Certhia [In margin V. No. 1350 del.] same
habitat as last species; keep together in small
flocks: in stomach various Coleoptera

1228
cop

Certhia. This specimen
is
tailless: (630) in spirits has
part of its tail. These feathers appear
singularly liable to fall out: I could
not shoot a perfect specimen:

Maldonado
MS. 13

in this
respect. & in the structure of
the feathers, this bird is allied | to
the two latter species. Haunts the
same locality. & conceals itself in the
reeds & thickets: iris yellow,
legs pale coloured.

1229

Fringilla. [will it
resemble Galapagos species inserted
later] feeds on the fruit of the Cactus. —

Picus, not uncommon:
frequents stony places & seems to
feed exclusively on
the ground; the bill of this specimen was muddy to the base: in the
stomach nothing but ants. — cry loud, resembling the English species,
but each note more disconnected; flight undulatory after the manner of
the same bird; tail seems very little used, although I have seen one,
with it a good deal worn: alights horizontally. like any common bird,
on the branch of a tree: but occasionally I have seen it
clinging to a post vertically. — are rather wild, frequent the open
plains. generally three or four together. — The old male has scarlet
tuft on the head. & a [bill del.] few same coloured
feathers at the corners of the mouth. The tongue is preserved in
spirits (620). — |

MaldonadoMS. 14

1239
cop

Lanius: not common, cry
rather loud, but plaintive &
agreeable: iris reddish orange; bill blue
especially lower mandible. — I
shot specimens, in
which the narrow black & white bands on the breast are scarcely
visible. & what is more remarkable, even the under feathers of the
tail. are only most obscurely barred. As these changes varied in
degree. I imagine they are the marks of different ages & not sex. —

1240 cop

Muscicapa, in stomach
chiefly Coleoptera.

1241

Fringilla not common

1242

Icterus in small flocks, in
marshy places, not so abundant as
the other species. —

1243.
cop

Scolopax, differs from
(1203) in being rather larger & of
different colours, [& is more common: added]
this bird commonly
makes the drumming noise, described in the
other species, at such times is very
wild:

1244.

cop

—Icterus, not very common,
marshy places, with its beak
widely open, utters
a shrill, but plaintive & agreeable cry which can be heard at a
long distance; the note is sometimes single & sometimes reiterated; flight heavy; is a much more solitary bird[s], than its congeners,
although
I have seen it in
a flock: tongue cleft at
extremity: young birds have their heads
& thighs. merely mottled with
scarlet.

Certhia. These three latter
species together with (1226 &
1228) are very similar
in their habits & general appearance. The genus is both numerous in
individuals. as well as in species: they all frequent & conceal
themselves amongst the rushes & aquatic plants on the borders of
lakes, where they busily seek for small insects, & chiefly
coleoptera. In this country, they seem to play the part in the economy
of nature, which Sylvia does in England. Certainly they do not resemble
in their habits the true Certhias. — Are they not remotely connected
with the Furnarii? In all, the legs are strong in proportion to the
body; when winged they crawl with uncommon activity amongst the
thickets. The structure of the tail in the whole genus. is somewhat
similar. & is remarkable from the looseness of its attachment; I
have seen individuals of most of the species. flying about without
tails. The notes, of all those which I heard, is similar, being rapid
repetition or reiteration of high, but not loud chirp. The tongue in
all is bifid & with fibrous projecting points; iris in all is
coloured, yellowish red. —

1251
cop

Furnarius-Certhia, not very
common: do not frequent thickets
or borders of lakes. but feed
on the ground in open
& dry situations, & occassionally alight
on the summit of a twig or thistle. — from the length of tail, flight
rather peculiar: legs, blueish, very pale: I have twice seen their
nests. it is placed in middle of thick bush, is made of a vast number
of sticks, is nearly two feet long [& cylindrical; added,]
the passage is in a vertical position, there being a slight bend, at its exit & entrance into the true nest, which is lined
with feathers & hair. Mouth at superior extremity. — |

MaldonadoMS. 16

1252
cop

Certhia legs pale colour,
iris rusty red, exceedingly like to
(1226) differs in length of lower mandible
& curvature of upper; I
scarcely believe it to be a different species,
more especially as I found one
specimen, which was intermediate in character between the[m] both.

1255
cop

Certhia, only differs from
(1248) in shape of bill upper
mandible in the latter is longer. & the
symphysis of the lower one is of
a different shape in the two specimens. Are
they varieties or species?

1256 cop

Certhia, iris reddish
yellowish, legs pale with tint of blue.

1257
cop

Parus (?) In very small
flocks, habits like European genus,
there is specimen (650) in spirits,
because the beak of this one is
imperfect. —

(a)
specimen in spirits
(722) is easily distinguished from the latter species, by the double
reddish bands on the wings, which it shows, when flying. Its
nidification is similar; namely at the bottom of a deep hole. its note
is likewise similar, being a succession of one high note. quickly
reiterated; the tone is rather more acute; flight similar, but does
not walk. not very tame, chiefly abounds on margin of lakes
amongst the refuse, also common. on open grassy plains, always feeds on
the ground. in stomach nothing but insects & nearly all coleoptera,
of which several were fungi-feeders. — Often picks amongst the dry dung
of cattle: tongue of a bright yellow colour. — This bird is common in
la
Plata, is rare on the coast of Patagonia, yet I saw some in valley of
S. Cruz.

MaldonadoMS. 17

is common in the Falklands Isds.
&
T. del Fuego. in which latter place
it inhabits the mountains, which are bare
of | trees, does not frequent the
sea coast. I do not believe this bird is
found so far north on the West
coast. —

1261

Lanius (?) legs pale
blueish; iris reddish; I have never
seen but this one specimen. Coleoptera in
stomach

Rhyncops. —1 base of bill & 'legs vermilion
red'. — I have seen this bird {on the East &
West coasts, between Lat. 30° & 45°. — &
frequents either salt or fresh water. The specimen now at the
Zoological Society was shot at a lake near Maldonado, from which the
water had been nearly drained, & in consequence which swarmed with
small fry. — I there myself saw. what I had heard described as having
been witnessed at sea. — Several of these birds, generally in small
flocks, flew backwards & forwards close to the surface of the lake.
with their bills wide open, & the lower mandible half buried in the
water. Thus skimming

1 The entry under Rhyncops, the Scizzor Beak, provides interesting
evidence of dating. Darwin followed up his conjectures about the
sensitivity of the beak playing a rôle
in the peculiar fishing habits
of the species, by writing on his return home a letter to Richard Owen
with a specimen of the head in spirits, asking for further
enlightenment. Details will be given under footnote 1, p. 222 below.
The entry is fairly heavily corrected in a lighter ink, and the
corrected version is given in the above text; this is the text nearest
to B. '39
and B. '45. I give below the uncorrected first version; I have not found the
meaning of the large square bracket near the beginning, with a large
figure 11 in the margin, which figure is repeated where the bracket
closes at end of entry.
"base of bill & 'legs vermilion red'.
— I have seen this bird on the East & West coasts. between Lat. 30°
& 45° it frequents either salt or fresh water. This specimen was
shot at a lake from which the water had been nearly drained, &
which swarmed with small fish. I there myself saw. what I had heard
described as being seen at sea. —These birds, generally in small
flocks, fly close to the surface of the water. with their bills wide
open, & the lower mandible half buried in the water. They thus skim
the surface & plough it as they proceed." The next ten lines have
no revealing alterations, but at the foot of p. 17 the word "Occassionally" is spelt with the familiar long double s, but it
is corrected, probably in the Summer of 1836. See Condor, p.
242.

the
surface they ploughed it in their course; the water was quite smooth
& it formed a most curious spectacle to behold a flock, each bird,
thus leaving on the mirror-like surface, its narrow wake. — In their
flight, they frequently twist about with extreme rapidity & so
dexterously manage, that the projecting lower mandible should plough up
a small fish, which is secured by the upper half of their scizzor-like
bill. This fact. I repeatedly saw. as, like swallows. they continued to
fly backwards & forwards close
before me. —

MaldonadoMS. 18

Occassionally when
leaving the surface of the | water,
their flight was wild irregular &
rapid; they then also
uttered a loud harsh cry. The length of the remiges appears quite
necessary, in order to keep their wings dry. when fishing.1 — When thus employed2 their forms in truth resemble the symbol by which many artists
represent marine birds. —The tail is much used. in steering their
irregular course. These birds are common far inland, along the course
of the Parana; it is said they remain during the whole year &
breed in the marshes. During the day they may be seen resting in
flocks, on the grassy plains. at some distance from the water. — Being
at anchor, as I have said. in one of the deep creeks between the
islands of the Parana, as the evening drew to a close, one of these
birds suddenly appeared. The water was quite still & many little
fish were rising; the bird, continued for a long time, to skim the
surface, flying in its wild & irregular manner up & down, the
narrow canal, now dark with the growing night & the shadow of the
overhanging trees. At M. Video. I observed some large flocks, during
the day. they were seated or standing on the mud & sand banks at
the head of the harbor, in the same manner as on the grassy plains.
Every evening they took flight directly to seaward. From these facts. I
suspect, that the fishing by day at Maldonado, was not a common
circumstance, but owing to the multitudes of
small fry left by the
draining water.

Maldonado
MS. 19

If such is the case,
we can see, how their nocturnal habits
are in | accordance with the
method of fishing, which probably
depends as much on the sense of touch
as on that of sight.3 Besides
fish, it is not improbable, that they catch other animals; of which,
many. such as Crustaceae come to the surface far more abundantly,
during the night than day time.

1 This sentence went through many changes. "The length of the remiges"
was first deleted, and "first feathers of the wings" added above, and
then also deleted, and "remiges" rewritten.

2 Here is given a very poor
diagram of the
V-shaped symbol—subsequently erased.

3 At this point in the text occur two crosses in the fainter ink,
corresponding to a marginal encircled note to his copyist, Covington. "Covington leave blank of [few? del] 3 lines." A deleted sentence
follows: "It would be curious to discover, whether the flexible lower
mandible is well stocked with nerves. —" The remaining description of
the feeding of Rhyncops is slightly altered, but not significantly. One
sentence is deleted: "The method of fishing is described in Dic:
Class: . —" del.
An examination of Z.B., '41, reveals the meaning of the
instructions to Covington, and the
deleted lines following. I suggest that at some date early in 1837,
Darwin called in Richard Owen's help to examine the Rhyncops' head
anatomically, for possible confirmation of the sensitivity of the beak.
Darwin had finished the Ornithological parts of Beagle '39 by
June, 1837, see Preface, and all mention of the beak
resembling an organ of touch was left out of both Beagle '39
and Beagle '45. Owen's answer was not

It appears, that the whole
structure of the bird, its weak
bill, with the lower mandible produced4 & long wings.
are evidently adapted for such habits, & not, as according to M.
Lesson,5 to open & feed on [the del.] Mactrae,
buried in the sand
banks. — } [End of
square bracket 11]

Alectrurus, sits on the top
of a thistle, from which by short
flights catches
its prey: sometimes alights on the ground. — In stomach a spider,
(Lycosa) & Coleoptera; tail appears useless in its flight

1276 cop

Alectrurus is this
different species?

1277
cop

Parvus (?), Exquisitely
beautiful — very rare, frequents reeds
near lake. — soles of feet fine
orange. I saw this bird at B.
Blanca. & in a collection of birds in Chili. —

1293
copMaldonadoMS. 20

Owl. —Excessively numerous,
mentioned by all travellers as
one of the most striking features in
the | ornithology of the Pampas.
They live in burrows, which they
excavate, on any level sandy part; but
on the Buenos Ayres side of the
Plata, where the Biscatche are
found, they appear exclusively to use the holes of that animal.

During
the open day, but more especially in the evening, these birds may be
seen in every direction, standing, frequently by pairs, on the hillock,
by their burrows. Whence they quietly gaze on the passer by; if
disturbed, they either enter the hole, or, uttering a shrill harsh cry
move with a remarkably undulatory flight to a short distance; whence
again they gaze at their pursuer. Occassionally, in the evening they may

written until 7th August, 1837, and the
three blank
lines left in the
hope that the answer would arrive in time for inclusion, was not
fulfilled. In Z.B. '41, Darwin gives the whole of Owen's
answer; after the same passage on Rhyncops' night feeding, given
above, Darwin writes: "I was led by these facts to speculate on the
possibility of the bill of Rhyncops, which is so pliable, being a
delicate organ of touch. But Mr. Owen, who was kind enough to examine
the head of one, which I brought home in spirits, writes to me that:
'The result of the dissection of the head of the Rhyncops,
comparatively with that of the head of the duck, is not what you
anticipated. The facial, or sensitive branches of the fifth pair of
nerves, are very small; the third division in particular, is
filimentary, and I have not been able to trace it beyond the soft
integument at the angles of the mouth. After removing with care the
thin horny covering of the beak, I cannot perceive any trace of those
nervous expansions which are so remarkable in the lamelli-rostral
aquatic birds.… ', Owen recalls the sensitivity of a hair through the
nerve at the base, and adds: 'it would not be safe to deny
altogether, a sensitive faculty in the beak of Rhyncops.'" No mention
of the sense of touch in Rhyncops' beak is made in Beagle '39 because
Owen's answer did not arrive in time.

4 "so much produced" remains
in Beagle '39. In Beagle '45 it is altered to "so much projecting".

be
heard hooting. I found in their stomachs, the remains of mice; & I
one day saw a small snake, killed & carried away. It is said, that
these latter animals, are their chief object of prey during the day.
If, by the means of the traps, I had not been aware how wonderfully
numerous the smaller rodentia are in these open countries, it would
have been an enigma to explain the support of such an infinity of owls.
—

Parus (?), Common on the
borders of lakes or ditches with
water; frequently alights on
aquatic plants; when seated on a twig
expands its tail like a fan. —

1297

Fringilla, rare &
beautiful

MS. 20(a)verso

omitted

1335
cop

Procellaria.
Bay of St. Mattias. Lat 43°. caught by a bent pin on a string baited
with fat; is tame & sociable, & silent; approaches close to
vessels, mingled with the Pintados; not abundant, seldom more than one
or two seen together: I saw it on both sides of the continent. Is said
to build in S. Georgia; to arrive very regularly at that place in
September & to leave it at the beginning of Winter. — [End of
Note (a)]

Thalassidromus, shot in the
bay, being driven in by a gale of
wind; walks on the water, very
tame.

MS. 21(b)verso

(B) Is said to build in
holes in the cliffs on S. Georgia: arrives
regularly in September for that
purpose: The sealers do not know of any other breeding place.

1378

Egg of Partridge (1223)

1382
cop

Perdrix; much rarer than
species (1223), they are generally
found several together, although
not rising in a covey; frequent
the swampy thickets on the borders of
lakes; are unwilling to rise
& lie very close; utter whilst on the
ground, a whistle, which is much shriller than in the other species; when on
the wing fly to a considerable distance: meat, when cooked,
snow-white. I have seen this bird at B. Blanca. Northern Patagonia.

1383 cop

Ostralogus. R. Plata [Possibly
meant for Ostralegus?]

1384 cop

Sterna do

1385 cop
cop

Palomba, exceedingly
abundant, living in small flocks, in
every sort of locality. —

In this undulating open
grassy country, birds are very
numerous, especially (I refer to number of
individuals as well as of species)
Cassicus. & Lanius.
(including such birds as Callandra). The months of May & June
correspond to the early part of Winter. —It is impossible not to be
struck with the great beauty of the greater number of the birds; the
most prevailing tint is yellow, & it is worth noting, that the same
colour is strikingly characteristic of the Flora. —

MS. 21(a)verso

As songsters, the
whole are miserably deficient; I have not heard one, excepting perhaps
the Callandra, which | could be
compared even with the second
class of our English performers. —

Besides
the Birds, already mentioned, there were several hawks, which I was
unable to procure: The gallinazo, but the Vultur aura, I do not
recollect having seen: Caracara, vulgaris:

Amongst
the smaller land birds, my collection is very perfect, day. after day.
walking long distances & unable to procure any other specimens. —
Fringilla 1615 very common: 903: Sturnus ruber: The
Cardinal is
found
here: 1439 in summer the large Kingfisher of T. del Fuego: Icterus
1418. very rare: Certhia 1451 very rare: Ostrich: Vanellus 1602: A
small snow white & large lead-coloured Heron: a great crane: Ibis: a large sort of Water hen: some ducks: the black-necked swan. &
swan with black tips to wings, both of which are found in T. del Fuego.
— |

MS. 22

1402
cop

Ptarmigan, shot on summit
of Katers peak (near C. Horn) 1700
ft high: not
uncommon, on the southern mountains of T. del Fuego, living on the
parts above the region of forests; either in pairs or small coveys;
not very wild; lie close. —

Common, both here & at
Maldonado. (October), but not in
the winter at the latter place, &
therefore must be migratory. —

1444 cop

Bird lives near the beach.
Bahia Blanca. Northern Patagonia

1445
cop

Swallow. nest in holes
in
cliff. —

— Hab do —

1446
cop

Owl. —

— Hab do — |

Northern Patagonia

MS. 23

1447
cop

Perdrix. frequents, sand
dunes & other barren very dry
places. Is it same
species with common species of La Plata? Habits similar, but appears
rather smaller; lies closer; country far more sterile. Bahia.
(Blanca,
sandy & shingle desert plains) Lat: 38°.

1448 cop

Sylvia — Hab — do. —

1449 cop.

Charadrius. — do —

1450 cop.

Bird. Same as at Maldonado.
B. Ayres.

1451 cop.

Certhia: B. Ayres: not
uncommon at St Fe: one specimen was
shot at Maldonado: —

1452 cop

— B. Ayres

1453

Shot on board Beagle in the
Plata

1454 cop

Duck —

Bahia Blanca.

1455
cop

Larus: saffron yellow,
base of lower mandible brownish
orange, legs yellow.
but not so bright as beak. — These birds often fly 50 & 60 miles
inland; frequent slaughtering houses; make the same noise, which the
common English gulls do. when their breeding places are disturbed.

Hab —
do —

1456
cop

Falco. —

Hab — do —

[1833]

Rio Negro. Lat
41°: sterile bushy plains

1458
cop

Ibis, very common in large
flocks in the great swampy plains
between Bahia Blanca & Buenos
Ayres: flight soaring. singularly
graceful, the whole flock acting in
concert. —

1459.
cop

Bird. frequently utters a
loud singular cry: is very
remarkable from the extreme activity, with
which it runs, at the bottom of hedges
& thickets; might be mistaken for a rat; is with difficulty made to take
flight. — Rio Negro

do. is found in small
flocks, inhabiting the most sterile
parts of the deserts, between the Rios, Negro & Colorado. —

1467.
cop

Furnarius: Inhabits the
most arid & sterile parts, in
northern [del] Patagonia,
& on the West coast, the similar country in Northern Chili; flies
quietly about, & hops very quickly along the ground: often turns
over & picks the dry pieces of dung. — (I saw one at Port Desire.
Lat. 48°.)

MS. 24(a)verso

[probably added later.]
(a) Specimen in spirits (728)

1468

Fringilla —

Rio Negro

1469

cop

Actively [added]
Hops about the bushes, very much
like a Parus: but also runs very quickly on the ground; utters harsh
shrill quickly repeated
crys: does not use the pointed tail as the Certhia. — Nest is said to
be very large & long, (2 ft) formed by a vertical passage, with
mouth open upwards; is placed in any low thorny bush & is composed
externally of the most prickly branches. This nest has, I believe, been
described by Molina as belonging to the Callandra or Thenca. —Frequents
in considerable number. the dry bushy valleys of the whole of Patagonia
& the similar country of Chili; from which latter place comes
(2193).

Hab. do

1470 cop

Turdus.

— do —

1592

6. eggs. M. Video: 3 of
Fringilla 1615: 2 of Anthus (1202).
One larger one. see account of the Fringilla.

1833

M. Video. R. Plata.
November (1833). —

1600
cop

Lanius. beautiful, most
singularly white for a land bird;
rather shy; rare at M. Video. common
about St. Fe. Lat 31°. —

1601 cop

Sylvia.

M. Video

1602
MS. 25

Vanellus, found in Lat
30°-45°. in both sides of the |
continent. — In La Plata is called by the
Spaniards Pteru-Pteru, in imitation
of their cry; & in Chili Theghel by Molina.1 Frequent all parts of the open grassy country & especially near
lakes: Habits in many respects similar to our peewits:

MS.
25(a)verso

(a) They do
not go in flocks. but commonly in pairs. [added on reverse of
sheet] appear to hate mankind.
& I am sure deserve to
be hated, for their never ceasing, unvaried. loud. grating screams.
pursue & fly round the head. of anyone who invades their haunts:
continue their noise even in the night time, [but it is very far from
true, that, this is, as Molina has stated the only time; — del.]
To the sportsman they do much harm, by telling every other bird of his
approach; to the traveller in the country, they may do good, by
warning him of the mid-night robber. —

cop

During
the breeding season, like our Peewits feign being wounded to draw away
dogs. or other enemies. — Eggs pointed oval, brownish olive,

Fringilla: one of the most abundant birds of S. America; on the East coast it
is found from Lat 30° to T. del Fuego, abounds most in the open grassy
country of la Plata,
but in the desert plains of
Patagonia is perhaps of their few inhabitants the most common. [Altered
from: is perhaps the most abundant] |

MS.
26

On the East coast, it is
numerous as far (at least) as Lima
in 12°. In the humid
forests of T. del Fuego, it is far from scarce. It generally prefers
inhabited places, but may be met with in the most unfrequented rocky
mountains; in the Cordillera, I saw it at an elevation, which could
not
be less than 8000 ft. — Although so common about the houses in la
Plata, they have not the air of domestication of the English sparrow;
& although Englishmen give them that name, they as little deserve
it, as the gorged Gallinazo does that of Cuervo or the rook. — They are
never seen in flocks. At M. Video. found a nest on the ground, in it 3
eggs [4 del] white [ones del] spotted with brown,
& one larger one also spotted with red; I had before heard, that a
bird, called Cusco, lays its egg. in the Sparrow, & other birds
nest. — (1592)

1616: 1617

Fringilla. cock &
hen.
shot together:

M. Video

1618. cop

Swallow.

Hab. do

1619. cop

Oven bird

— do

1620 cop

Callandra?

1621.
1622 cop
cop

Cock
& Hen. scissor tail. as it is called by the Spaniards. Sits on the
bough of a tree, & takes short flights in pursuit of insects; is
in its habits
& appearance on the wing, a sort of charicature likeness of our
English swallow; In its flight turns very short, at which times, opens
& shuts its tail,
sometimes in a horizontal or lateral,
& sometimes in a vertical position, just
like a pair of scissors. |

MS. 26(a)verso

A forked
tail is evidently of
great utility in turning short. — We see it in the Frigate Bird; the
swallow, the Tern, & Rhyncops. In the Frigate Bird & in
Rh[y]ncops, this power is possessed in the most perfect degree. end
of note (a)
— Is very common in the neighbourhood of B. Ayres. & frequently
takes advantage of the few Ombu trees which stand near the Estancias or
farm houses,—

not uncommon | the wooded banks
of
the Parana at St. Fe: in the
day time rises from the ground, on
being, disturbed. in the same lazy
manner as the English species. —
I saw one alight on a rope in a rather diagonal position. —

1624.
cop

Procellaria, shot Lat 42°.
20'S.: in stomach beak of Sepia. —
I saw it also off the mouth of the
Plata; rather wary, does not
commonly approach vessels

1834

Janu: 1834 Port Desire.
Lat 48°. S. dry sterile
plains of shingle.

1661

Duck. 20 miles up the
Harbor.

1698. cop

Furnarius. tolerably
common, in the most desert [corrected
from desart] spots.

— do

1699: cop.
1700 cop

two species of Lanius,
both
shy, scarce, solitary,
frequenting the wild valleys, with thorny
bushes, on a twig of which they take
their stand.

Hab do

1701

Fringilla not very uncommon
in the valleys.

do

1702
cop

Furnarius, somewhat similar
habits, with the species of la
Plata (1222). which it may be considered
to replace; frequents dry sandy
places where there are a few
bushes. in which respect it differs. —
Coleoptera in stomach [added later] — rare.

—
do

1703 cop

Sylvia. in bushes. near sea
coast.

do

1704.

Sparrow. apparently same as
(1615) but the egg (1710) is
decidedly different; I do not
however believe there is any mistake in
either case; the commonest bird on the plains.

On the dry sterile plains
of Port Desire & St. Julians,
both the number of species
& of individual birds is small. — Besides those enumerated. The
Condor is found. — Caracara Vulgaris unfrequent. — Sturnus ruber.
Scolopax-perdrix. Callandra 1220. Charadrius 1623: each in small
numbers.

1834

St. of
Magellans. Feb. 1834

1778 cop:

Two species of Ducks.
fresh
water.

C.
Negro

1779 cop.

1780 cop

Grebe, iris scarlet
red,
do.

do

1781 cop

Hawk, iris brown. — male —

— do

1782.
cop

Petrel legs "flax flower
blue": This bird in its habits is
a complete diver; it frequents the
deep quiet creeks & inland seas
of T. del Fuego; is
common, I saw many in the Beagle channel & other parts. they were
present in similar situation in the Chonos archipelago Lat. 44°. — Once
only have I seen an individual out in the open sea, & that was
between the Falklands & T. del Fuego.

MS. 29

On being disturbed from the
surface of the water, flight direct, rapid, drops from the air like a
stone, & as quickly | dives to a long distance. Commonly at the
very instant of rising,
with the same action, takes to the wing. This is when disturbed,
otherwise it swims & dives about after the manner of a grebe. At
Port Famine, I have seen these birds, in the evening, flying. of their
own will. in direct lines, from one part to the other. — Sts. of
Magellan

1783 cop

Gull. legs & base of
bill brownish cream colour. Hab, do

1784

Icterus. common, small
flocks, runs on the ground
noisy chattering bird like
a starling: common in Chili & whole west coast feeds on moist
pastures in large flocks. builds in bushes: can be taught to talk
& is kept in cages. — called by Molina "Cureu"

1814

Egg of Avestruz petise,
(?). See account. — Port Desire.

1816
cop

Puffinus this bird is very
abundant in the Sts. of Magellan,
near Port Famine.
Mr Bynoe has seen it in numbers in the deep creeks of Western
Patagonia. In the inland sea. behind Chiloe. Lat 40°. there were more
of these birds together, than I ever saw of any other sort. Hundreds of
thousands flew in an irregular line in one direction for several hours; when the flock settled on the water, its surface was black with their
numbers.1 It is said in Chiloe, that these birds are very

1 Written in margin: "1624 off mouth of Plata. Wary would not approach
Vessel Beak of Cuttlefish" The reference number is to specimen number
1624, Procellaria, the Great Nelly or Breakbones, Quebrantahuesos of
the Spaniards. See Beagle '39, p. 354, Beagle '45,
p. 289. Beneath the note is added "Callao".

irregular
in their movements, appearing in certain places in vast numbers, &
on the next day not one being there visible. At this time the water
contained clouds of small Crustaceae. When the flock was settled on the
water, a cackling noise proceeded from the whole, as of human beings
talking at a distance. On the East. coast of T. del Fuego in the open
sea, occassionally, two or three might be seen flying
about.

MS.
30

At Port
Famine I had | a good opportunity of
watching their
habits. Early in the mornings & late in the evenings they were
particularly active; at such times they might be seen in long strings
flying up & down, close to the surface of the water, with extreme
rapidity. They occasionally settle on the water, & spend a great
part of the day, thus resting. When thus flying backwards &
forwards [distant from the shores inserted] they are
evidently fishing, yet I scarcely ever saw one take its prey. — One
being slightly wound[ed], was quite unable to dive. Stomach much
distended, with a small fish & seven or eight good sized Crust
Macrouri (such as 820). They are shy & wary & will but seldom
approach within gun shot of the boat or ship. This specimen was killed
late in the evening. — There is not the slightest difference in the
plumage of the males & females. — In foot, the inner web is
coloured "red lilac purple", edges of all & greater part of outer
web blackish: legs & half of lower mandible blackish purple.

1834

Port Famine.
beginning of February. 1834

1817. cop

Tringa sea. coast.

1818.

Fringilla common on the
outskirts of the forest.

1819: cop 1820. cop

Not uncommon in T. del
Fuego, & along whole west coast,
even as far
as Valparaiso (2198). Near Port Famine this bird inhabits the gloomiest
& darkest recesses of the great forest; is generally seated high
up
amongst the tallest trees, whence it continually utters a very plaintive gentle whistle in the same tone. It can be heard some way,
yet the sound appears to come from no particular place, direction, or
distance. We were some time, before discovering its author, hidden [in]
the foliage of the great trees |

MS. 31

1821
cop.

Muscicapa. not
uncommon on
outskirts of forest, sits on a
dead branch.

Port Famine

1822. cop

Furnarius. same as (1260)
see account Hab. do.

1823
cop

Furnarius, resembles the
latter species. differs from it both
in structure &
in habits. This bird is exceedingly common over the whole of T. del
Fuego & in Falkland Id: it extends some short way along the East
coast, & on the west on the shores of the deep channels is very
common; it was present even as far as Northern Chili, at Copiapò. — It
haunts almost exclusively, sea-beaches, whether they be rocky or
shingle. I however saw [one del] a few a hundred miles
inland, on the pebbly banks

of
the S. Cruz; & likewise in Chili, the broard beds of the rivers.
constituted like sea-beachs draw them from their proper locality.

MS. 31(a)verso

(a) I
must also except a few I
saw in the desolate valleys of the
Cordillera, at a height that could not
have been less than 8000 ft. (End
of Note (a).] In
T. del Fuego they feed entirely on small marine animals, at high water
mark. & frequently haunt the floating kelp leaves. which grow to
the surface. M. Pernetty & subsequently M. Lesson, has remarked on
the very remarkable tameness of this bird; in this respect it differs
a little from the last species. & generally in its quiet habits is
more allied to species (2297): walks; utters like its
congeners, the same kind of shrill but not loud, quickly reiterated
cry. — On Sept: 20th. (about 60 miles South of Valparaiso. 34° Lat) I
found a nest of one of these birds with young birds; it was placed, in
a cavity, near the roof, at the end of a large cavern. Three months
later in the Summer, in the Chonos Archipelago. Lat 45°, this bird had
eggs: (What a difference in time & therefore climate in 700 miles
southing!) the nest was placed in a hole beneath a tree on the coast,
but hole not excavated: egg (2426); nest built of coarse
grass. untidy: I was told holes in banks are also used: — |

MS.
32

In the Falkland Islands, I
shot specimens (1931) which
appeared much darker
coloured than those of T. del Fuego, — habits same, in stomach — there
was a small Cancer. brachyurus. & a Buccinium .25
of an inch long.
— If I was obliged to compare the habits of this genus to birds in
England. I should say, they most resembled the wagtails, but certainly
not so active. —

Fringilla, abundant in
large flocks, in all parts of East.
Falkland Isd. — very tame. —

1880
cop

Tringa. in flocks. on
sea
beach.

Hab. do. — |

MS. 33

East
Falkland Isd. —

1881 cop

Hawk.

1882
cop

Caracara vide infrà
(1932:
1933)

Hab: do

1898
cop

Lark, not uncommon. Hab. do: — I was informed by a Sealer
that this bird is found in
Georgia & South Orkneys (Lat ) [left
blank by C.D.]
& that it is the only land bird on those islands. — In Georgia it
must be a bird of passage, for during the greater part of the year the
snow reaches to the waters edge. This lark might very properly be
called Antarctica: do

(N.B. For convenience sake.
I shall here put together all my
notes on the Carrion feeders of
S. America. —)1Caracara.
Braziliensis or vulgaris, is a very common bird & has a wide geographical range.
I have seen it most abundant on the open plains of la Plata; [where it
is called Carrancha, but inserted later] it is not
unfrequent. in the most desert parts of Patagonia: [beginning of
square bracket in text, ending p. 235, labelled H.] {In
the Traversia between the rivers Negro & Colorado, numbers
constantly attend on the line of road, to devour the [carcases of the added
later]
exhausted animals, which may perish from fatigue & thirst. On the
west coast. it is abundant, even as far as Lima: although

thus so common over [in del]
these open & dry
[arid del] countries, it is nevertheless [added]
found inhabiting the damp impervious forests of West Patagonia &
Tierra del Fuego.1 The Carrancha together with the Caracara chimango constantly attend in
numbers around the Estancias & slaughtering houses; if an animal
dies on the plain, [fields del] the Gallinazos commence the
feast, & then the two [added] Caracaras pick the bones
clean. — These birds2 although thus commonly feeding together, are far from being friends,
When the Carrancha is quietly seated on the branch of a tree or on the
ground, the chimango will continue for a long time, flying backwards
& forwards, up & down, in a semicircle, trying each time at the
bottom of the curve to strike his larger relative; the Carrancha
however takes little notice, excepting by bobbing his head. — 3

MS.
35

Although the Carranchas are
frequently | assembled [added]
in numbers, they are not gregarious; in desert places they may be seen
solitary, or more commonly in pairs. Besides the carrion, of larger
animals, these birds frequent the sides of streams & sea beaches to
pick up whatever the [sea del] waters may cast up; by these
means, in Tierra del Fuego & on the west coast [it del]
the Carrancha must entirely live. They are said to be very crafty &
to steal great numbers of eggs. — they attempt, together with the
Chimango, to pick off the scabs, from the sore backs of the horse &
mules, — the poor animal with its ears down & back arched, [on the
one hand added] & on the other, [above, del]
the
hovering bird, eying at the distance of a yard, the disgusting morcel,
form a picture, which has been described by Capt. Head,4 with his own spirited accuracy. The Carrancha will kill a wounded
animal; & Mr. Bynoe, near M. Video, saw one seize in the air, a
live partridge, which escaped from his hold & was for a long time
chased [corrected from chaced] on the ground. — I believe this
fact to be far from common; anyhow there is no doubt, that the chief
part of their sustenance is derived from carrion. A person will
discover [see del] the "necrophagus" habits of this
Caracara by walking out on one of the desolate plains, & there
lying down to sleep, when he awakes, he will see on each surrounding
hillock, one of these birds patiently watching him. with an evil eye;
it is a feature in the landscape of those countries, which will be
recognized by every one who has
wandered over them

MS. 35(a)verso

(a) If a party goes
out hunting with dogs &
horses, it will be accompanied,
during the day, by several of these attendants.

1 Deleted paragraph: "Neither
it, nor
the Caracara chimango have found their way across to the Falkland Isds."

2 Altered from: "This bird
& the
chimango,"

3 Here there is a small diagram in margin crossed out. In the small
pocket notebooks when near Chiloe, dated 28th November, 1834, Darwin
notes: "Chimango torments swing swang the Carrancha".

4 Rough notes of journeys in
the Pampas
and Andes. By Sir F. B. Head, London, 1826. Travelled in S.
America
as manager of the Rio Plata Mining Association.

After feeding, the
uncovered craw protrudes outwards [(?) added]
at such times, but likewise |
generally, the Carrancha is an
inactive, tame, &
cowardly bird. — Its flight is heavy & slow; it is like that of an
English crow. — It seldom soars, I have however twice seen it, at a
great height, gliding through the air with much ease. — It runs [(in contra-distinction from hopping) added]
on the ground, but not with quite so much celerity as some of its
congeners. — At times the Carrancha is rather noisy but is not
generally so; the cry is loud, very harsh & peculiar; it may be
likened to the sound of the Spanish gutteral g, followed by a rough
double rr. Perhaps the Gauchos from this cause have called it
Carrancha. Molina who says it is called Tharu in Chili, states, that
when uttering this cry, it elevates its head, higher & higher, till
at last (with its beak wide open) the crown almost touches the lower
part of the back. This fact, which has been doubted is quite true; I
have seen them several times with their heads. backwards. in a
completely inverted position. — The Carrancha builds a large coarse
nest indifferently; in any low cliff. or in a bush or lofty tree. —

MS.
36(a)versoH

(a)
To these observations I may add on the authority
of Azara,1 that the Carrancha feeds on
worms shells. slugs, grasshoppers
and frogs: that it destroys young lambs. by tearing the umbilical
cord, and that it pursues the Gallinazo, till that bird is compelled to
vomit up, the carrion it had lately gorged. Lastly Azara states that
several Carranchas five or six in number. will unite in chace of
large birds, even such
as Herons. —} [End of large
square bracket-labelled H, beginning
p. 233, and of note (a)
on reverse.] I am in great doubt
about the plumage of the two sexes & ages of this bird. At Port
Famine, I shot a female, apparently an old bird, with the eggs well
developed in the Ovarium. Bill, cere, & legs. coloured as in
description in Dic: Class2. — Head "Liver & blackish
Br." (Over the whole plumage. this is the tint of the dark browns, & the pale browns are "yellowish Br") — Gorge rusty yellow; breast & under
tail coverts banded (bands 1/10th. inch wide) with pale brown &
rusty yellow: Back banded with dark
brown: wing coverts pale brown:

On the plains of S. Cruz. I
saw many Caracaras, like specimen (2028). I shot several of them & opened
their bodies, many were females, others, (as for instance this
specimen) had the organs quite smooth. There were some with more white
on their throats. — Is this the Ca. vulgaris? if so where were the old
cock & old Hen birds — Yet in Chili & la Plata I

have occassionally seen a pale brown variety similar (speaking from recollection) to
these. — Habits same as Carrancha. — I do not know what to think. Can
it be the young of Raucaria. V. infrà. —

Caracara. (1294)

J

Called in la Plata "chimango"; this bird is very [beginning
of large square bracket J] {common
on both sides of the
continent, but does not appear to extend so far
northward [added] as the
last species. It is found in Chiloe & on the coast of Patagonia,1 & I have seen it in T. del Fuego. We have already remarked that it
feeds on Carrion in company with the Carrancha; 2 it is generally the last bird which leaves the skeleton, & may
often be seen within the ribs of a cow or horse, like a bird in a cage.
— The Chimango commonly frequents the sea coast, & the borders of
lakes & swamps, where it picks up small fish. — Is truly
omnivorous, & will [even added] eat bread, when thrown
out of a house with other offal;

MS.
38

[&del]
I was | assured, that in
Chiloe, they materially injure the Potatoe
crops. by stocking up the roots when first planted. In the same island,
I myself saw them, by scores following the plough & feeding on
worms & larvae of insects. — I do not believe they ever kill birds
or animals; they are more active than the Carranchas, but their flight
is heavy; I never saw one soar. — are very tame, — are not gregarious
— commonly perch on stone walls & [trees del] posts
[added & not upon trees. — frequently utter, a gentle, shrill
scream.} [End of large bracket J.]

Caracara (1882)

(1932.33). — N. Zelandae. —

L

[Beginning of large
bracket L.] {[This bird is exceedingly numerous over the
whole of the Falkland
Islands. — I am informed by the Sealers, that they are found on the
Diego Ramirez rocks & the Defonson isles,3 but never on
the mainland of Tierra del Fuego. — Nor are they found on Georgia or
the more southern Islands. — It appears, that in this part of the
world, the Caracara N. Zelandae, has, doubtless for some good cause,
chosen the Falklands for its metropolis. In many respects, this
Caracara resembles in its habits the Carrancha; they live [chiefly del]
on the flesh of dead animals & marine productions; in the Il
Defonso Isds & Ramirez rocks, their whole sustenance must depend on
the sea; They are extraordinarily tame & fearless & haunt the
neighbourhead of houses for the offal; if a [hunting added]
party kills an animal, a number soon collect & patiently wait
[sitting del] standing on the ground
on all sides.

MS. 38(a)verso

(a)
After eating, the uncovered craw is
largely protruded,
giving to the bird a disgusting appearance. — They readily attack
wounded birds; a cormorant in this state having taken to the

1 "further south, at Port Desire & the valley of S. Cruz. (ς in
Patagonia is it not rather a small variety 1772?)" [lightly deleted].

2 Altered from: "I have
already said it
feeds on Carrion together with the Carrancha."

3 Diego Ramirez rocks are
about 100
kilometres south of Cape Horn, and the San Ildefonso islands further
west.

shore,
was immediately seized on by several [of] these birds, who by blows
tried to hasten its death. —

MS.
39

The Beagle was at the Falklands
| only
during the summer, but
the officers of the Adventure,
who were there
in the winter, mentioned many extraordinary instances of their boldness
& rapacity — the sportsmen, on shooting excursions, had difficulty
in preventing them seizing the wounded geese, before their eyes; they
actually pounced on a dog which was lying close by fast asleep. — It is
said that several together will wait by the mouth of a rabbit hole,
& when the animal comes out, will together seize on him. Constantly
they flew on board the vessel lying at anchor in the harbor; & it
was necessary to keep a [constant watch del] good look out,
to prevent the hide being torn from the rigging, & the meat or game
from the stern. These birds are very mischievous & inquisitive;
they will pick up almost anything from the ground; a large black
glazed hat was carried a mile, as was also the Bolas, or pair of balls
used in catching cattle. Mr. Usborne experienced during his survey a
more severe loss, in a small Kater's compass in a red Morocco leather
case, which was never recovered. — These birds are moreover quarrelsome
& very passionate, tearing up the grass with their bills in their
rage. Are not truly gregarious; flight heavy, clumsy, do not soar; on
the ground run with extreme quickness very much like a pheasant; The
Gallinazo runs in the same manner. They are noisy, uttering several
sorts of harsh crys; one of which is [very del] like that of
the English rook. — Hence the Sealers always so call them. —

MaldonadoMS. 40
L

It is a
curious circumstance | that when crying out,
they
throw their heads upwards &
backwards after
the same fashion as the Carrancha. They build on the rocky cliffs on
the sea coast, but only in the small islets & not in the two main
islands; this is an odd precaution in so tame & so fearless a
bird. The Sealers say the flesh of these birds is very good to eat,
& when cooked quite white. —} [End of
large bracket L.] Specimen
(1932) (unfortunately injured) [added later]
agrees with the specific description in the Dic: Class: legs &
skin about beak bright "dutch Orange" beak "ash grey": thighs
rufous &c &c; female; eggs in Ovarium size of goose shot; —
Specimens with legs, plumage, &c coloured as the description in Dic: Class: are in extremely small proportion to some others;
Specimen (1882) is one such, this however appears to be a young bird
[feathers growing; added] there are however others (of which
Capt. F. R. [FitzRoy]
& Mr. Bynoe have specimens) colored precisely in the same way,
differing only in proportional length of wing feathers & in the
skin about the beak being quite white [& beak itself nearly black added
later].

MS.40
(a)verso

(a)
There is a specimen of the wing,
of what I consider the old
cock bird. — The Gauchos (who are excellent practical naturalists)
state that all the yellow legged rufous thighs specimens are females
(which agrees with the one dissection) & all the grey legs males:
It

must
moreover be remarked that the latter are smaller in size than the
yellow legs. — Specimen (1933) is remarkable, bones were rather soft,
but feathers complete; is, like to the old female in being of larger
size; thighs & under parts of wings partly rufous, feathers of
neck same shape; [as in old female; added later] back
blacker; tail without bands; soles of feet slightly yellow, legs
ash-coloured; skin about beak, with yellow margin;

MS. 41

beak lower |
mandible grey. upper black & grey.
— generative organ
quite smooth. — I think from this description there can be little doubt
but that this was a young female. — 1932 old female. — 1882 young male
& Capt. F. R. old male. — It must be observed this will account,
(& I see no other way) for the very small numerical proportion of
the yellow legs; a fact which at first to me was most perplexing. —
These circumstances appear to me very curious. — I have omitted to
remark that (1933) ς must be more than one year old, being
shot in
Autumn. (April corresponding to October) & clearly not that years
bird: it is probable they do not attain full [size omitted]
at least till two years old. — Naturalists appear to have considered
all the grey-legs as young birds.

Caracara
(2029).

(Raucanca?)
Specimen
female; I do not believe the male is essentially different in its
plumage, for I saw several pair[s] such as this together. — Skin about
the beak yellow, bill blue, with black lines; legs pale yellow. — This
bird was shot near the last at S. Cruz; Lat 50°. in Patagonia, it was
there very rare, but following up the river I saw several of them. On
the West coast I never saw another specimen, & it was with a good
deal of surprise, that in Northern Chili (Lat 30°), in the deserts,
which extend between Coquimbo & Copiapo I again saw this bird. — I
do not believe they are ever in Chili seen South of Coquimbo; they
were in no part numerous, but mostly so in the valleys of Guasco &
Copiapò. — This handsome bird, — from what little I saw of its habits,
appears to resemble the Carrancha; it is however much shyer: is
generally seen in pairs. — At S. Cruz I saw it with the other
Caracaras, waiting till the Condors had finished their feast on a
carcase. — |

MS. 42

Caracara.
(3297.
3298)

I
have never seen this bird anywhere but in the Archipelago of the
Galapagos, where it is excessively numerous. — These islands,
consisting of a pile of recent Volcanic rocks, are extremely arid &
sterile; the soil is almost everywhere covered by thin leafless
underwood. In their ornithology are evidently connected with S.
America, although 500 miles from the nearest shore; they are situated
under the Equatorial line: — This Caracara, in most of its habits
resembles the C. N. Zelandae; it is extremely tame & fearless;
frequents houses; when in the woods a Tortoise is killed, these birds
directly congregate, & remain waiting on the surrounding lumps of
lava or stunted trees till their feast com-

mences.
— They will eat, almost anything, are said to kill chickens & young
doves, & are very destructive to the little Tortoises, when they
first leave the shell. Flight neither elegant or swift; but on the
ground possess like the C. N. Zelandae the power of running quickly.
are noisy, utter many different crys, one very like that of the C.
chimango. — Build in trees. — Specimen (3297) is Cock bird; &
3298,
young female; Mr. Bynoe has old female, (with eggs in ovarium very
large); these latter may be known, by their breasts being a much
darker brown. — Exactly as in the Falkland Isd. these old females are
in very small proportion to the others. At the tents, one day I think
30 were counted on the neighbouring hill & bushes, without one with
the dark brown plumage. These birds were then (October) beginning to
lay; therefore specimen (3298) must have been at least one year old. —
|

MS.
43

CaracaraB

To conclude with the
foregoing birds; however they may be
arranged from external characters;
they all (B) possess one family
air, and1 agree in
habits with the Vultures in the following respects; in living chiefly
on the flesh of dead animals; in quickly congregating at any spot,
where an animal may have died; in gorging themselves till their craws
protrude; in their tameness, or boldness with respect to mankind, but
cowardice to other animals. They are allied to true hawks. in venturing
to attack young or wounded birds, — However they may be ranked, they
supply to S. America in the economy of Nature the place of the Crows.
Ravens. Magpies &c of England. —

Vultur
aura. (1915).

female. —
This
bird has a wide geographical range; is found in T. del Fuego, on the
mountainous western coast of Patagonia, (but not on the dry plains of
Eastern Patagonia) in Chili, where according to Molina, it is called
Jote, & in Peru, at least as far as Lima. — Differently from the
Caracara vulgaris & chimango it has found its way to the Falkland
Islds. —

M

[Beginning
of large bracket M.] {It may
be at once recognised at a long
distance, by its lofty, soaring, most
elegant flight.

MS.
43(a)versoM

(a) They are solitary in
their habits or at most go in pairs.2 It is well-known to be a true carrion
feeder; on the west coast of
Patagonia amongst
the thickly wooded islets & broken land, it must live exclusively
on what the sea may throw up & on dead seals; wherever a herd of
these animals are sleeping on the rocks, there may be seen these
Vultures.} [End of large bracket M.]

MS. 44

In the Falklands this bird is
tolerably common. — I may mention
that
at Port Louis, not having seen any of these birds for some days, one
morning a considerable number appeared, so as to
lead one to
suppose they move | in bodies. They were
here

1 "possess one family air and" added
as note B on separate page.

2 "They are solitary in their habits or at most go in pairs." Added as
note (a) on reverse of page. The "a" in script and margin is lightly
crossed out, but not the note itself.

or Gallinazo. —
This
bird differs from the last species, in never, as far as I have seen
going to the Southward of 40°. — It prefers a humid climate or rather
the neighbourhead of fresh water; it is abundant in Brazil & la
Plata. On the [dry & del] arid plains some way South of
la Plata they never are seen, but nevertheless reappear on the banks of
the Colorado. They extend across the Pampas, to the foot of the
Cordillera, but, in Chili, I never saw or heard of one, although in
Peru it is well known they are preserved in the streets as Scavengers.

N

N

[Beginning
of large bracket N.] {These
birds may certainly be called gregarious; they seem to have pleasure
in society, & are not solely brought together by the attraction of
a common prey. On a fine day a flock may often be seen at a great
height; each bird, wheeling round & round, without closing its
wings in the most graceful evolutions. This is clearly done for
sport-sake, without any further end, without it is connected with
matrimonial alliances. — } [End of
square bracket N.

MS. 44(a)verso

Note
(a) added on reverse of page, 44a,
and
lightly deleted.] On the
ground, they can run very quickly after the
manner of poultry
in a farm yard. —

Condor1

The
Condor is well known to have a wide geographical range, being found on
the west coast of South America from the St of Magellan through-

1 The pages on the condor are
amongst the most corrected and recorrected
of any in the Ornithological Notes, with a duplication of p. 46 in the
MS. The bird had captured Darwin's imagination, so that not only the
range of its distribution, life history and habits are discussed, but
its powers of sight and smell are examined on his own and others'
evidence. There are two major deletions, themselves heavily corrected.
Notes 44 (a), and 45 (a), given above in the main text are the final
states of the original writing; I give here as a footnote the first
deleted drafts for comparison.
MS. 44, "On the shores of Patagonia the most northern point, where I
either saw or heard of these birds [their presence del.]
was at the steep cliffs near the mouth of the R. Negro in Lat 41°. At
this place they have wandered, about 400 miles, from their |
MS. 45, "most congenial habitation, of the Cordillera; [in the Andes. del.]
At St. Joseph's bay I saw a pair sitting on the edge of the sea
cliff"— not deleted, but not included in final texts. "Again further South
at Port Desire, at the head of the deep Bay, where the rocks of
Porphyry form bold precipices we see the Condor, of which a few
stragglers occassionally visit the sea, coast. At the mouth of the S.
Cruz, there is a line of cliff, frequented by these birds; following
the course of the river inland, at about 80 miles distance, the sides
of the valley are formed by precipices of basaltic lava; Here
immediately the Condor appeared in numbers, although, in the space
intermediate between these and the sea cliffs, not one had been seen.
>From these facts, & from not seeing the Condor, in other parts of
the coast, where there are not precipices, it would appear that the
presence of this bird is here partly determined by the occurrence of
such mural precipices." End of first major deletion.
It is of interest to note that the lines of enquiry Darwin followed up
later in the Journal of Researches and in the Zoology of
the Beagle—and in his evolutionary work—often
found their germinal suggestion in
the small pocketbooks he carried with him on his inland expeditions. On
the boat journey up the valley of the S. Cruz river, under the date
April 23rd, 1834, is the entry: "Condor is present solely where mural
escarpments." In September, 1834 he wrote: "Have seen but few
Condors
— yet this morning 20 together soaring about. Man said at once probably
a lion …" In July, 1835 he notes: "Smelling properties discussed of
Carrion Crows, Hawks. Magazine of Natural History.". Again in July,
1835, he observed their flight: (See second deletion). "Condors
flight, close wings — remarkable motion of head & body —"

out the [whole del]
entire range of the Cordillera. (a) On the Patagonia shore, the steep
cliff near the mouth of the Rio Negro in Lat 41°. was the most northern
point where I ever saw these birds or heard of their existence. They
have here wandered about four hundred miles from the great central line
of their habitation in the Andes.

MS.
45(a)

Further south also, amongst
the bold
precipices which form the head of [the
deep creek of del.] Port Desire they are not uncommon; yet
[but only del.]
a few stragglers occasionally visit the sea coast. A line of cliff near
the mouth of S. Cruz is frequented by these birds, and about eighty
miles up the river, immediately that the sides of the valley [are del., were del.] are [replaced] formed by steep basaltic
precipices the condor [as I have already said del] is again
found, although in the intermediate space not one had been seen. — From
these [and similar added] facts, [and from the absence of the
Condor in some other parts of the coast, where the land was not
abruptly broken, del] the presence of this bird appears to be
chiefly determined by the occurrence of perpendicular cliffs. |

MS.
45

In Patagonia the Condors,
either by pairs, or many together,
[collectively del] both [nightly del] sleep &
breed on the [same added] overhanging ledges. — In Chili
however, during the greater part of the year, they haunt the lower
Alpine country [of del] nearer to the shores of the Pacifick,
& at night, several [together del]
roost in one tree; but during the early part of summer they retire to
the most inaccessible parts of the inner Cordillera, there [(as it is
said) del] to breed in peace. . — With respect to their
propagation, I [am del] was told by the country people of
Chili, that the Condor makes no sort of nest, but [in the months of
November & December added] lays two large white eggs on a
shelf of bare rock; at S. Cruz & P. Desire, in vain I tried to
discover [find del] the nest, amongst the cliffs, where the
young ones were then standing.
|

MS.
46

I am assured the young Condors cannot fly for the
first whole year. —
At Concepciòn, on March 5th [corresponding to our September added]
I saw a young Condor, which in size, was but little inferior to an old
bird, but was covered over its whole body by down [precisely like that
of a Gosling — excepting in being del.] of a blackish colour,
but otherwise just like that of a gosling. — I feel sure, this bird
could not [would not have been able to del.] have used its
wings for flight, for many months. — After the period when the young
birds can fly & apparently as well as the old ones [birds del]
it would appear, from what I more than once observed [in Patagonia added]
that they yet remain, both roosting at night on the same ledge [of rock del] & by day hunting, with their parents. — Before
however the ruff round the neck [s del] of the young bird [s del]
is turned white, [they del] it may often be seen [independent del]
hunting by itself. At the mouth of the S. Cruz, during a part of April
& May, two old birds every day were either perched on certain
ledges, or sailing about with a single young bird, which

though full-fledged, had
not its ruff white. [altered
from: … young bird, full-fledged; but the ruff not white.] I can feel no
doubt, especially when recollecting the state of the Concèpcion
bird
[only one month previously added] that this young Condor had
not been hatched from an egg of the same summer. And as there was no
other young bird, it seems [is del] probable that the Condor
only lays once in two years.1 (?) In Patagonia, these birds,
generally [very frequently, as I have said del] live by pairs; but amongst the inland basaltic cliffs, I found a spot [place del]
where scores must usually haunt; on coming suddenly on the
brow of the precipice,

MS.
46(a)

(a) it was a fine sight to see between twenty or
thirty of these great birds start heavily from their resting place, and
then wheel away in majestic circles. — [Corrected from: —
upwards of twenty took flight &
magnificently soared away.] |

MS.
46XXX

From
the quantity of dung on the rocks, they
must long have frequented this
cliff [spot del] & probably they both breed & roost
there; — Having gorged themselves [full del] with carrion [added]
on the plains below, they retire to these
favourite ledges to
digest their food. —

MS.
47(a)

(a) From these
fact[s] we must to a certain degree
consider the Condor, like the
Galinazo, a gregarious bird. [Corrected from:
Hence the Condor must be considered to a certain degree, a gregarious
bird.] They are neither shy nor wild; in this part of the country they
exclusively prey on the guanaco, which either have died a natural
death, or, as more commonly happens, have been killed by the pumas. — I
am inclined to believe from what I saw in Patagonia, [contrary to the
common supposition del] that they do not on ordinary occasions2 extend their daily excursions to any great distance3 from their regular sleeping places. — The Condors, may oftentimes, be
seen at a great height, soaring over a certain spot; in the most
graceful spires & circles, on some occassions. I feel sure, they

1 This question of the
reproduction of
the condor went through changes in the two editions of the Beagle, and again in the Zoology of the Beagle. The above passage,
with its evidence of the prolonged juvenile state of the young bird, is
given in Beagle, 1839, p. 220, but is much shortened in Beagle, 1845. In Zool. of Beagle, 1841, Darwin quotes M. Alcide d'Orbigny as contradicting the statement
that the young birds cannot fly for the first whole year. Voyage
dans l'Amerique Méridionale par A. d'Orbigny, 1835-47. On p. 93, B. 1845, Darwin gives in a footnote his appreciation of this work, and
says: "When at Rio Negro, we heard much of the indefatigable labours
of this naturalist. M. Alcide d'Orbigny, during the years 1825 to 1833,
traversed several large portions of South America, and has made a
collection, and is now publishing the results on a scale of
magnificence, which at once places himself in the list of American
travellers second only to Humboldt."

2 "Occassions" is here corrected by Darwin by crossing out one "s".
This spelling discovery was therefore made whilst he was writing up his
condor notes. The double long s is still written in the first drafts
wherever "occasion" or "occasionally" occur; but in the later
alterations the spelling is correct.

do
this for their sport, but on others, the Chileno countrymen will tell
you, that they are watching a dying animal, or the puma devouring its
prey: If the Condors glide down, & then suddenly all rise
together, the Chileno knows that it is the puma which still watches the
carcase & has sprung out to drive away the robbers. — Besides
carrion, the Condors frequently attack young goats & lambs; hence
the shepherd dogs are trained the moment the enemy passes over to run
out, and looking upwards to bark violently.1

MS.
47

The Chilenos
destroy & catch numbers; | two methods are
used, one is to place a carcase
within an enclosure
of sticks on a level piece of ground, & when the condors are gorged
by galloping up on horseback to the entrance thus to enclose them. For
this bird, not having space to run, cannot give its body momentum
sufficient to rise from the ground. — The second method is to mark the
trees in which they roost, frequently to the number of five or six
together, [corrected from: in which the Condors frequently
to
the number of five or six together, roost,] & then at night climb
up & noose them; they are such heavy sleepers, as I have myself
witnessed, that this is noways a difficult task. — At Valparaiso, I
have seen a living Condor sold for sixpence, but the common price is
eight or ten shillings; — One which was brought in, had been lashed
with rope & was much injured, but the moment the line was cut by
which its bill was secured, it began, although surrounded by people,
ravenously to tear a piece of carrion. — At the same place in a garden,
between twenty & thirty were kept alive; they were fed only once a
week & appeared in pretty good
health.

MS. 47(a)*verso

(a)*2 I noticed [& was
told it was of general occurrence inserted]
that several hours
before any of the Condors die; all the lice
with
which they are infested crawl to the
outside [of the del.] feathers. — [Ricinus (2153). — del.]

The Chileno countrymen
[Guassos del.] assert, that
the condor, will live & retain its powers, between five & six
weeks! [without eating added] I cannot answer for the truth
of this, but it is [a likely enough although del.] a cruel
experiment, which very likely has been tried.

When
an animal is killed in the country, it is well known that the Condors,
[altered to condors] like other Carrion [altered to carrion] vultures,
gain the intelligence & congregate in an inexplicable manner.

MS. 48

In
most of these cases, it must not be overlooked, that the birds have
discovered
[collected del.]
their prey and | have picked the skeleton clean, before the flesh
could
have been in the least tainted. Remembering the opinion of M. Audubon
on the little smelling [olfactory del.]

1 Corrected from: "hence the shepherd dogs are trained to run out &
bark violently upwards, the moment the enemy passes near."

2 The asterisk in the text
indicates
that Note 47(a) was to be given as a footnote in the Journal. See B.
'39, p. 222, and B.
'45, p. 184. The form is slightly altered; "I was assured that
this
always happened." comes at the end, and "Ricinus" and the number are
omitted.

powers
of such birds, (b)*1 I tried, in the above mentioned garden,
the
following experiment. The condors, were tied, each by a rope, in a long
row at the bottom of a wall. — Having folded [folding del.] a
piece of meat in white paper I walked backwards & forwards,
carrying it in my hands, at the distance of three yards. No notice was
taken, I then threw it on the ground within one yard of an old cock
bird, he looked at it but took no further notice. —With a stick I
pushed it [still del.] closer; [& closer, added]
the Condor [at last added]
touched it with his beak, & then instantly with fury tore off the
paper. at the same moment, every bird in the long row was struggling
& flapping its wings. Under the same circumstances, it would have
been out of the question, to have deceived a
dog. |

MS.
48(a)verso

(a) I may
remark, that it has often
happened to me, when lying down to rest on
the open plain, [country del.]
that on looking upwards I have seen carrion
hawks, sailing through the air at
a great height. Where the country is level [commonly del.] I
do not believe, a space of the heavens of more than 15° above the
horizon is commonly viewed [beheld del.]
with any attention, by a person either walking or on horseback. If such
is the case & the Vulture is on the wing at a height of between
three and four thousand feet, [altered from figures] before it
could come [would fall del.]
within the above range of vision, its distance in a straight line from
the beholder's eye would be rather more than two British miles. — Might
it not thus readily be overlooked? When an animal is killed by the
sportsman in a lonely valley, may he not all the while be watched from
above by the sharp-sighted bird? And will not the manner of its
descent, proclaim throughout the district to the whole family of
carrion feeders, that their prey is at hand? [The following
passage is scored through by two vertical lines, but I give it in the
main text as it contains material not given elsewhere.] Amongst
all these Condors, I noted the following circumstance, that the hens
have bright red eyes, but the cocks yellowish brown. In a specimen,
which at S. Cruz, I knew

1 The asterisk again indicates
a
footnote for the Journal. In Beagle '39, 222, the footnote is
taken almost verbatim from note MS. 48(b), which reads as follows:
(b) "In the case of the Vultur aura, Mr. Owen, in some notes read
before the Zoological Society, has demonstrated from the developed form
of the olfactory nerves, that this bird must possess an acute power of
smelling. It was mentioned on the same evening, that on two occasions,
persons in the West Indies having died & their bodies not being
buried, till they smelt offensively, these birds had congregated in
numbers on the roof of the house. This instance appears quite
conclusive as it was evident they had gained the intelligence by the
powers of smell, and not of sight." [Altered from:
"In this instance vision could not have helped … "] "It would appear
from all these facts, that carrion feeding hawks possess both the sense
[altered from power] of sight and smell in a high degree."
End of MS. 48 (b).
In Beagle '45, p. 185, the discussion is given in the main text, as Darwin had
received further evidence against the acute sense of smell of the
turkey-buzzard and gallinazo. The date of Owen's communication to the
Zool. Soc. was 14th March, 1837, and Darwin was present. Owen's
information about the olfactory nerves of the vulture was given in a
letter to Mr. Yarrell, the secretary. It ends: "The above notes show
that the vulture has a well-developed organ of smell; but whether he
finds his prey by that sense alone, or in what degree it assists,
anatomy is not so well calculated to explain as experiment."
The date of the meeting proves that Darwin added note MS. 48(b) to the
main text after March 1837.

by
dissection to be a female the same color was observed. A young bird
(which however, it being Spring-time, must have at least been one year
old,) whose back was still brownish & ruff not white, had its eyes dark brown; upon dissection after death, this young bird turned out to be a
female. — The young male has its back & ruff brown & the comb
on head simple. —

MS.
49

It is rather singular, that in Chili, the old
birds,
are known
amongst | the country people, by the name of "El Buitre" or the
Vulture; whilst those alone, without the white ruff, are called
Condors. — Molina says that the proper Indian name is Manque. [End
of scored passage.]1

When
the Condors in a flock are wheeling round & round any spot, it is
beautiful to observe the manner of their flight. Excepting when rising
from the ground, I do not recollect ever having seen one flap its
wings. Near Lima I watched several of them, for quarter & half an
hour, without once taking off my eyes; they moved in large curves,
sweeping in circles, descending & ascending without once flapping.
[flapping, del; closing their wings, del;
flapping added.]
As some of them glided close over my head, I intently watched, from an
oblique position, the separate & terminal feathers of the wing; if
there had been the least vibratory motion, the outlines would have been
blended together, but they were seen distinct against the blue sky. The
head & neck were moved frequently & apparently with force;
& it appeared [would del., seems del.] as if
the extended wings formed the fulcrum on which the movements of
the neck, body, &
tail acted. |

49XXX

[Insertion XXX]
If the bird wished to
descend, the wings were for a moment collapsed; and then when again
expanded with an altered inclination, the momentum gained by the rapid
descent, seemed to urge the bird [body del.] upwards, with
the easy and steady movement of a paper kite. In the case of any bird
soaring, it must have sufficient rapidity of motion, so that the action
of the inclined surface of the body on the atmosphere may
counterbalance its gravity. The force to keep up the momentum of a body
moving in a horizontal plane in that fluid (in which there is so little
friction) cannot be great, & this force, is all that is wanted. The
slight movements of the neck and body of the condor we must suppose
sufficient for this. [Altered from: Must not the slight
movements of the neck and body of the condor be sufficient for this?]
However this may be, it is truly wonderful and beautiful to see so
great a bird, hour after hour, without any apparent exertion wheeling
and gliding over mountain and river.2 —

2 The remainder of MS. 49 and all of MS. 49 (a), have rough drafts for
the above inserted passage on p. 49XXX, which remains with very slight
alterations in Beagle '39, p. 223, and in Beagle '45, p. 186. I give the deleted rough drafts here; the last phrase, on
the bird taking advantage of all air-currents, sounding so familiar to
our more air-minded ears, is not found in the remodelled version. "…
these movements happen in a perpendicular as well as in a lateral
direction; by the former the inclination of the whole extended surface
of the bird, with the horizon, is at once altered; this, acting with
the

[End of insertion XXX. The writing can just be
discerned here through a huge blot.] |

MS. 50
N.B.

I will here add a few
trifling observations on some well
known birds at the Falkland Isds. —

M.
Lesson states, that three sorts of Penguin are found amongst these
Islands. Capt. FitzRoy has a fourth species, which I have seen also in
the St. of Magellan.

Penguin

One day I was much amused
by watching the manners of P.
demersa, having
placed myself between it & the water. — It is a brave bird; till
reaching the sea he regularly fought & drove me backwards. Nothing
less than [a] heavy blow could have stopped him; every inch gained he
kept, standing close before me, erect & determined. — When thus
opposed, he continued to roll his head from side to side; as if the
power of distinct vision lay in the anterior part of the eye, and only
in a plane, horizontal with respect to the usual position of the head.
[bird del.] This bird is called the Jackass Penguin, from
when on shore, throwing its head backward & making a loud strange
noise, very like the braying of that animal. When at sea, &
undisturbed, its note is very deep & solemn, & is often heard
in the night time. When diving it uses its little wings with great
rapidity; and when on shore, crawling through the tussocks or on the
side of a grassy cliff, it likewise uses them as front legs. — In such
situations its motions are so quick, as to resemble in a singular
manner, some small quadruped. — On the open ocean, this bird with its
low figure, its easy motion & crafty appearance, may be likened to
a Smuggler. —

Steamer

A
logger headed duck, called by the old navigators race horses, and now
steamers, has often been described from its extraordinary manner of
splashing
& paddling
over the water. |

MS.
51

They here abound
in large flocks. In
the evening when preening themselves, they make the very same mixture
of noises, which bull-frogs do within the Tropics. — Their heads are
remarkably strong, so much so, that actually I had difficulty in
breaking it with my heavy geological hammer: the beak is possessed of
corresponding strength; a structure which must well fit them for their
mode of subsistence; this judging from their dung must almost
exclusively consist of shell fish obtained from the Kelp, & from
the shores at low water. They enjoy but little power of diving. They
are extraordinarily [(as all our sportsmen can testify) del.]
tenacious of life,

momentum gained by a rapid descent,
appears
to cause
the bird to rise,
like a paper kite, with an even & steady motion. In case of a
Condor soaring, the bird must have sufficient rapidity of motion, so
that the action of the inclined surface of the body on the atmosphere
may counterbalance its gravity — The force to keep up the momentum of a
body moving in a horizontal direction in that fluid (in which there is
so little friction) cannot be great; This force is all which is wanted: — must not the movements of the neck and body be sufficient? The
bird also doubtless takes advantage of all currents in the air. —"
A further version of the early section is given on p. 49 a. "In the
midst of a rapid descent it will thus alter the inclination of its
extended surface, & this acting with the acquired momentum, seems
to force its whole body to rise, with an even and steady movement like
that of a paper kite."

The Upland goose is
common
in pairs. & Small flocks of
half a dozen; throughout the island.

MS.
51Bverso

(B).
Trachea in spirits (904) &
(576.577 Cock & Hen). — N.B. Trachea.
(& worms from stomach of Diomedia
exulans (817).
— They do not migrate, but build on the small outlying islets; this is
supposed to be from fear of the Foxes, & it is perhaps from the
same cause, that these geese, though exceedingly tame by day, are shy
& wild in the dusk of the evening. — It lives entirely on vegetable
[matter] and is very good eating. —

Goose
(rock)

The rock goose (Anas
hybrida of Molina) is common here, in T.
del Fuego, & on the west
coast as far as Chiloe. These birds
invariably go in
pairs. — In the deep & retired channels of T. del Fuego, the snow
white Gander & his darker companion, standing close by each other,
on a distant rocky point, form a marked feature in the landscape.
—Trachea (508) in Spirits |

MS. 51(a)verso

(a) This
goose lives & feeds
exclusively on the marine productions of the
shore.

Lanius. — rare. — female.
—Hab. do. —N.B. One of these birds
is brownish
with a white tail; I saw it in the lofty & arid valleys on the
Eastern slope of the Cordillera at Chili. — The other of these, or one
shot at P. Desire or St Julians, is brown all over & with a broarded1 bill like true Lanius, this bird is found also in Chili as far North as
Copiapò. I am assured that it commonly kills young birds. —

2014
cop

Hawk.
female, flutters stationary over a spot like the Kestril; wide range,
being found on the west coast as far as Lima. — S. Cruz

2015

Fringilla (cock?),
frequent the bushy valleys in small
flocks from six to
ten, are not common. — I only saw them in one other part of Patagonia
at
St Julian's Bay. — They utter a very peculiar & pleasing note;
sometimes they move from bush to bush with an odd soaring flight. — I
saw this bird in the valleys of the Cordillera of central Chili, at
height which must have been about 8000 ft. near to the upper limit of
vegetation. — (B) [added on reverse of page] & rarely in
the low country of Chili.

1 Probably intended for "broader". The extra r in broad, neighbourhead
for neighbourhood, besides the long double s in occasion and
occasionally, were amongst the constant early spelling mistakes when
writing his Diary during the voyage. In the last of the small pocket
books (See Beagle, 1945, p. 252,) Darwin lists the needed
purchases in the next town,—probably Cape Town, for use in the last
lap home. These include "12 of the little Quires from the
Captain—Inkstand, pencils, Blotting paper. Bramah pens, common do."
Also a spelling Dictionary. These acquisitions prove how occupied he
was in writing up his notes whilst still on board. See Diary 1933, p. XIX.

(a) Red throated creeper
male; MS. 52(a) verso In
the lofty, arid valleys
of the Eastern slope of the Cordillera of central chili his bird is
found. — N.B. (I call these & following birds creepers, without
meaning to say, they have habits of true creepers; they hop
actively about the thickets & herbage of the most wooded but
sterile valleys.)

MS. 53
N.B.
S. Cruz

When I call these small
birds males, I do so because | the
generative organs, even with aid of
lens did not appear granulated.
Anatomists will know how far this is
subject to error. —

2021 cop

Creeper not uncommon,
amongst the thickets

2022 cop

Creeper (long tailed):
male:

do. S. Cruz

2023 cop

—

—

2024 cop

Creeper; male: —

do —

2025
cop (a)

Furnarius. — female. — not
common: flies about under the
bushes, & cocks up its tail; quickly
reiterated cry

do

MS. 53(a)verso

Is found on Eastern
Cordillera with Creeper 2020 V.

2026 cop

Wren. — female. — harsh
chirp. —

2027 cop.

Parus: female: by three's
& four's together. —

do

2028 cop

Caracara Vide page 34,
genus —

do

2029 cop

Caracara: female of
Caracara —

do

2030 cop

Hawk legs pale yellow, bill
blueish black —

do

2031 cop

Owl. —

do

2080

Procellaria gigantea.
Called by the English Nelly & by
the Spaniards Quebranta
huesos. — This bird was shot in Port Famine; I had long marked this
black variety & thought it a different species. — But Mr. Lowe1 (a
person who for many years has from his business, been intimately
acquainted with all these southern countries & their productions)
assured me that it is the young of the common greyish black kind.
— Besides the well marked distinction of color, the flight of this kind
appears to me more elegant. Bill wax white; legs black, upper surface
greyish. The Nelly is common over all the southern latitudes: she
frequents the deep inland channels as well as the open ocean far from
the coasts. Often settles & rests on the water. —

MS.
54

In their flight
& general appearance on the wing much resemble the albatross, &
as they commonly frequent the same
| parts of the ocean, it is
probable their food is nearly similar. But in the case of either [both del.]
bird, it is in vain to watch [them del.] to discern [?] on
what they feed; [added] they

1 "Sunday [March] 24, 1833 … On Friday a sealing vessel arrived
commanded by Capt. Lowe; a notorious & singular man, who has
frequented these seas for many years & been a terror to all small
vessels." Quotation from Beagle Diary, 1933, p. 141. Darwin
had great faith in Lowe's observations.

appear to hunt the water in
sweeping circles for days
[together added] without [being seen to added]
catch any prey. — The Nelly is carnivorous; some of the officers of
the
Beagle, at Port St Antonio, saw one pursue & kill a species of
Coot. The latter tried to escape, both by diving & flying; but was
continually struck down. — at last its fate was concluded, by a blow on
the head, when rising from beneath the water. At Port St. Julians the
Nelly was seen to kill young gulls. — This specimen, had in its stomach
the bill of a large cuttlefish. — The Nelly breeds on the coast of
Patagonia, on small islands, such as Sea Lion's Isld at S. Cruz. — The
following notes may help to serve as comparison with the above specimen; is description of one killed at Maldonado, Rio Plata; appeared
slightly to differ in colour from description of "gigantea" in
(Manuel. d. o?)1 colour "greyish black", a shade darker
above & one lighter beneath. — Extreme points of Tarsi (measured
outside) 3.4 inch. — Fibulae, from centre of articulations 10.8. —
Lower mandible from feathers to extremity 3.15. — Nose, measured on
central part, from a membrane at base to concavotruncate extremity
1.65. — Depth of bill including nose 1.2 —retrices 16 in number. —

2081
cop

Tyrannus; not uncommon,
Port Famine; is found on west coast
as far North as Copiapò in
Northern Chili; sits generally
perched on a moderately
high twig looking out for its winged prey |

Fringilla, in small
flocks,
feeding near the beach, — I never
saw any before. — I do not believe
the cocks (if this is not one) are
brighter coloured. —

Port
Famine.
June

2083 cop

Tyrannus

—
do —

2084

Certhia.
— Probably of all land birds in T. del Fuego, this is the most numerous; it is likewise common on whole wooded coast of the west, & is
found even as far North as 60 miles south of Valparaiso, but there the
dry country & stunted woods are not favourable to its increase. In
T. del Fuego, throughout the forests of Beech trees, both high up,
& low down in the most gloomy, wet & impenetrable valleys, this
little bird is common. Its numbers no doubt appear the greater, from
its habit of following, with apparent curiosity, every person, who
enters these silent forests; continually uttering a shrill harsh
twitter, it flutters from tree to tree within a few feet of his face. —
It is far from wishing for the modest concealment of Certhia
familiaris. — Nor does it, but seldom, run, like that bird, up &
down the bark of trees, but, industriously, more after the manner of a
willow wren, hops about & searches every twig & branch. —

2122
cop

Alcido. female. This bird
is abundant in T. del Fuego, in la
Plata (Brazil
?) & Southern Chili. This specimen came from the island of Chiloe:
its habits generally resemble those of the Europaean kind;

but both here & in
Tierra del Fuego, its | common, if not
universal places of
resort, are the quiet coves & deep creeks of the sea. — In the
stomach of this bird was a Cancer brachyurus & small fish. — I may
here also add, that amongst the Chonos Islds Mr. Bynoe, shot a large
eared Owl, the stomach of which was full of Decapod Crustaceae! —

Chiloe

2124 cop

Lanius vide. (2081)

do

2125
cop

Turdus: male: this bird
is found whole west coast. (la
Plata? [added in margin]
Falkland Isd & in Chili to its Northern limits, is very common —
feeds chiefly on seeds & berrys. Is said to have its nest smoothly
lined with mud. I presume like our thrush.

do

2126 cop

Furnarius: male?:

Chiloe

2127
cop

Myothera; (female) called
by the Chilotans, Cheucau. — is
common in Chiloe,
extends at least as far as 47° South, but further North than 37°, where
the woody country ceases, it has not been seen. — This bird frequents
the most gloomy & retired spots in the humid forests. At some
times, although its cry may be heard, it cannot with the greatest
attention by seen; but generally by standing motionless, in the wood,
it will approach within a few feet, in the most familiar manner. It
busily hops, its tail vertically cocked upwards, amidst the impervious
mass of rotting canes & branches. The gizzard is muscular, it
contained, hard seeds, buds of plants & vegetable fibres, mixed
with bits of stones; in a specimen, killed further to the South, there
were also, some scanty remains of insects. It is said to build its nest
in low bushes or amongst sticks close to the
ground.
—

Chiloe
July[1834]
MS. 57

This bird is well known &
held in superstitious dread, by the
natives on account of the strange |
& varied crys it utters: the most usual
is a loud singular repeated
whistle. — There are
altogether three very distinct kinds; one is called Chiduco & is
an omen of good, another Huitreu which is unfavourable. These names are
given in imitation of the sounds; by which the natives are in some
things, actually governed! — The Chilotans have certainly chosen a most
comical little bird, for their prophet. — Chiloe

2128 cop

Muscicapa; is here found
always on the beach, expands its
tail like fan.

2129
cop

Creeper: female: runs up
& down the trees, manners like
Certhia familiaris; Coleoptera in stomach; is found as far North as central Chili, but
is not there common; is in Chiloe far from rare.

2130 cop

Creeper: female: V (2084)

2131.

— Fringilla. — Chiloe. —

MS. 57(a)verso

2132⌉
2133⌋

Fringilla,
— cock & Hen, shot together — Is found in numbers from Chiloe
throughout Chili, at least as far as Copiapo. Was shot at the Rio Negro
[Added in margin] But, as far as I am aware, has not crossed
the Cordillera to the Eastward. In Chiloe it is perhaps the commonest
land bird; in small flocks, it frequents the cultivated ground &
neighbour-

1 Added at top left-hand
corner of page
"2123. Chiloe" and some illegible words.

head
of houses; in these respects & general habits very much resembles
our sparrow. — In stomach generally seeds & sand. — Specimen (2320)
will show its nest & eggs; it was built on the trellis work of a
vineyard in a garden, close by a frequented path, at Valparaiso. During
time of incubation the male bird utters two or three pleasing notes,
which Molina has exaggerated into a fine song. — Is called in Chili "Dinca". — I should add, that this bird is not exclusively found near houses. — |

Chiloe. July. —
MS. 58

2134
2135

Trochilus (latter
female by dissection?) Is found
on the West coast from Northern Chili to
Tierra del Fuego, in which country it
has been described, as seen sucking
the flowers of a Fuschia in the
midst of a snow storm.1 In Chiloe it is exceedingly abundant, perhaps in number of individuals,
it is scarcely exceeded by any other bird, excepting the Dinca. — This
delicate little bird, uttering its very acute chirp, skips from side to
side, amongst the dripping foliage, but it appears out of character in
these climates of endless storms. In Chiloe, it commonly frequents open
marshy ground, where the Bromelias in patches form dense
thickets; 2 on the edges of these, it may be seen hovering, & every now &
then dashing into them, near to the ground, but whether it ever
actually alighted, I could never observe. There were at this time of
year scarcely any flowers, & none whatever, where the above plants
grew. Hence I was well assured they did not live on honey; on opening
the stomach or duodenum, in a yellow fluid, by the help of a lens, I
plainly saw numerous morcels of the wings of Diptera, probably
Tipulidae. It is evident the Humming birds search these insects out of
their winter quarters, amongst the thick foliage of the Bromelias. It
is truly insectivorous; In the stomach of one shot at Valparaiso,
besides small Diptera, I found [corrected from: recognised
parts] of Ants; the contents were like what might be found in a
Certhia. —

MS.
59

Amongst the Chonos Isd. although at a time, when
there were
flowers on the outskirts of the woods, yet the
damp
recesses of the forest | were the
favourite haunts. In the stomach of one shot
here, there was a black mass of
finely comminuted insects.3 In central Chili, these birds
are said to be regularly migratory. They make their appearance in the
Autumn [of the year; del.] the first I noticed was on the
14th of April, but by the 20th

1 See Capt. King, Voyage
of Beagle '39, Vol. I: 127.

2 Note added on reverse of page, 58 (a). "These plants are not Bromelias; they bear a fruit like a pineapple; have strong recurved leaves
armed with strong hooks; these spring from a woody stalk. It is called
some name like Pophos? —" Bromelia is mentioned in Beagle '39, but omitted in Beagle '45. The identity of the plant
does not seem to have been determined.

3 >From "on opening the stomach" eleven lines back, MS. 58, one faint
vertical, and a few wavy horizontal erasures have been made. Also two
crosses in margin. Yet the substance of the passage remains in both Beagle '39, pp. 330-331, and, somewhat curtailed, in Beagle '45, pp.
271-272. The re-writing of the passages is very considerable, showing
that the O.N.s were still only rough drafts.

corresponding to our November, [added in margin]
at Valparaiso they were numerous. Staying through the winter, in the
Spring, they were still very numerous in August, from that time they
gradually decreased, so that on Octob. 12th., in a long walk, only a
single one was seen. — As this [small del.] species
disappears, a larger kind arrives, which circumstance will be mentioned
with the account of that bird. I do not believe this Trochilus breeds
in any part of central Chili, for at the time, when they have migrated
from that country, nests were common in Southern Chiloe & in the
Chonos Isd. — Specimen (2425) shows nest & egg; on Decemb. 8th.,1 eggs nearly Hatched, South end of Chiloe: a little further south in
January, young birds. — This case of migration exactly agrees with what
happens in N. America. Humming birds are said to migrate to the United
States & Canada to avoid the heats of Summer, — Humbd. Vol. V Part
I. P. 352. — On the West coast they likewise move in the same direction
to Nootka Sound. Cook. 3rd Voyage. Vol II. — Our Trochilus, though
migratory in one part, is a permanent resident in T. del Fuego. — In a
like manner. Beechey2 says that the Humming birds
remain in Northern
California all winter. —

MS.
60

Amongst the
| Chonos Islands
in January, when there were young birds in the nest, a considerable
number of specimens were shot; amongst these very few or scarcely any
had the usual shining head of the Cock bird,3 yet on opening
their bodies, many appeared to be of that sex. Specimen (2503) is in
this case; it may be observed to have a yellow gorge, & I have
seen some specimens with light brown feathers on their backs. — Is it a
distinct species? It is certain they cannot be young birds. From the
proportional numbers & dissection I do not think they can all be
hens, although [birds del.] in [added] that sex the
glittering feathers on the head are never present. Are the cocks
moulting?

Trochilus: (2179 [female del.]). (2180 male). —
I saw this bird in the middle of August in Valparaiso:
it was stated
that it had then shortly arrived, & certainly by the month of
September its numbers were much increased. — On the wing its appearance
is singular; like others of the family, it moves from place to place,
with a rapidity & manner, which may be aptly compared to that of
Sirphus amongst the Dipterous insects. But when hovering over a flower,
the motion of its wings is slow & powerful, so as not in the least
to possess that vibratory movement, common to most of the species.
Hence no humming noise can be perceived. — I never saw a bird, where
the force of its wings, as in a butterfly, appeared so powerful in
proportion to its weight.

MS. 60(a)verso

(a) I do not know
whether this is intelligible; each
time as it slowly flaps its wings, the
body springs back from between
the blows. —

1 This sentence to "young
birds "
scored in the margin, with a cross.

2 Frederick William Beechey, 1796-1856, rear-admiral and geographer.
President R. Geog. Soc., 1855. Wrote narrative of a Voyage to the
Pacific and Beering's Strait … in His Majesty's Ship Blossom etc,
1825-8, London, 1831.

The
expansion of the tail between each flap, appears both to steady &
support the bird. — Specimen in Spirits (1050) [End of Note (a).] When
hovering by a flower, the body is kept in a nearly vertical position,
&
the tail is
constantly expanded & shut like a fan.
— |

MS.
61

Although thus flying
from flower to flower, yet in its stomach there were abundant remains
of insects; these & not honey must be the object of its search. —
Note very shrill. — As I have before said, this Trochilus takes the
place during the summer of the smaller species, which migrate to the
Southward to breed; the object of this bird, must be similar, it
doubtless comes from the parched northern countries, & certainly
uses Chili, as its breeding place. Specimen (2319) is the nest. — In
central Chile, this bird is far from uncommon. —

MS. 61Bverso

I may mention that in the
Cordillera of central Chili, I saw
a humming bird, at the height of
about 10,000 feet & a little below
the snow line. — I am not sure of the
species, but it had, I think, some white
feathers about the neck or body. — 1

I
may remark, that the ornithological character of Chiloe & Tierra
del Fuego; although these countries are separated by twelve degrees of
Latitude, their climates are not very dissimilar; in each, the whole
surface is covered, by one gloomy wet, & scarcely penetrable
forest. In Chiloe, although situated in so temperate a zone, the woods
in some respect partake of a Tropical character. Many different kinds
of trees are thickly placed together, on them vegetate numerous
parasitical plants, of which not a few are monocotyledenous —

MS.
62

an
arborescent grass, or cane,
intertwining the trees to the height | of 30
ft, forms extensive
& most impervious brakes. Many beautiful ferns, although not
tree-ferns, grow to a very large size and are abundant. — [added as
Note (a) partly on verso of MS. 61 from "an arborescent grass."]

Chile

2147: 2148.

Bones supposed to belong to
the Avestruz petise picked up at
St. Julian's. —

N.B.

The following birds were
shot at Valparaiso, during months of
August & September (1834). — The sexes
were distinguished by S. Covington by

1 Note B on the verso of 61, is not given an exact place of insertion on
the recto. For reference to Trochilus, see Beagle, 1839, MS.
330-332,
and Beagle, 1845, MS. 271-272, where Note B is left out, and
the whole
reduced.

opening
their bodies, & judging chiefly from the granulated state of the
Ovarium: it being the Spring, probably this means is correct. —

2159
cop

Partridge: male: In its
general habits & appearance
very closely resembles the Partridge of
la Plata (1223). — namely in its
manner of running openly — not
readily squatting, — flight — going in
pairs — flesh white — &c &c
&c. — Nevertheless I am sure
it is a different [form del.]
species, from its whistle, when rising from the ground, being much
shriller & of a distinct tone. It is tolerably numerous; — is not
so easily caught, as those in la Plata. I never heard of these being
here caught by men on horseback. —

Egg (2427). — An officer on
board having some eggs from B. Blanca on the East coast, I carefully
compared them. The general color & appearance is similar, being
palish "Chocolate red". The B. Blanca one, a shade paler; this one
is
also smaller. —

Diameter

Valparaiso
inch

B. Blanca

Difference

Longer axis

2.070

1.815

.255

Shorter do

1,495

1.300

.195

Difference

0.575

0.515

.060

2160

Pidgeon: female: (large
kind) —

2161
cop

Woodpecker: male: is the "Pitui" of Molina. I think the name must come, from
its curious note, which somewhat resembles that word. Frequents
the dry hills, over which a few bushes & trees are scattered. . —
Molina states that it builds its nest in holes in banks. — Is it same
with
that of Maldonado? |

MS. 63

Valparaiso—
August &
September
[1834]

2162 cop

Owl: male:

2163 cop

Dove: female. —

2164 cop

Water Hen: male: Bill "grass & emerald green" iris
scarlet

2165 cop

Water Hen: female.—

2166 cop

Plover. male: middle claw
serrated.

2167 cop

Lanius: female. —

2168 cop

Snipe: female

2169: cop
2170 cop

Callandra (: 69 female: 70
male) (V.1216)

2171
cop

Caprimulgus, male: utters
at night a simple gentle,
plaintive cry, which is regarded with much
superstitious dread by the
natives; frequents the hills.

2172

Myothera: female: (& 2296 & 2824 Coquimbo) Called by the Chilenos el "Turco". It is not uncommon. — Lives on the ground, sheltered amongst
the bushes & thickets, which are scattered over the dry &

sterile
hills. With its tail erect, & stilt-like legs, every now & then
it may be seen popping from one bush to another, with uncommon
celerity. It really requires little imagination to believe the bird is
ashamed of itself & is aware of its most ridiculous figure. — An
ornithologist, on first seeing it, would exclaim, "a vilely stuffed
specimen has escaped from a museum & has come to life again"! —
Does
not run, but hops. It cannot be made to fly, without much
trouble. The various, loud cry's, which, when concealed amongst the
bushes it utters, are as strange as its appearance. — Is said to build
its nest, in a deep hole underground. — Gizzard very muscular;
contained
beetles, vegetable fibres & pebbles. — When I first examined this
bird, I thought, from the length & strength of its legs, soft
membranaceous covering to nostrils & muscular gizzard, it was a
distant relation to the order of Gallinaceous birds. | [Note (a) on
verso of page 63] Specimen (1039) in spirits for dissection |

Valparaiso

MS. 64

2173⌉
cop
2174⌋

Myothera female: (&
2174). This bird is called by the
inhabitants "Tapacolo", or "cover your
posterior". The name is well
applied, as it
generally carries its short tail, more than erect, that is inclined
backwards & towards the head. — It is very common; frequents the
bottom of hedges & thickets, also the bushes scattered over the
sterile mountains, where scarcely another bird exists. Hence this bird
forms a conspicuous figure in the ornithology of Chile. In its general
manners of feeding, of quickly hopping out & back again to the
thickets, of preferring concealment, in its unwillingness to take
flight, & in its nidification there is a close resemblance to the
Turco. Its appearance however, is not quite so ridiculous as in that
bird, & it may [be] said that in consequence, it [show del.]
exposes itself with greater readiness. The Tapacolo is very crafty, it
will remain motionless at the bottom of a bush, & will then, after
a little time, try, with much address to crawl away on the opposite
side. It is moreover an active bird & generally making a noise;
these noises are various & strangely odd, some, are like cooing of
doves, others like bubbling water, & many defy all similes. The
country people, say it changes its cry, five times in the year; so
that
I suppose, they vary them according to the Season. [Note (a), verso
of MS. 64.] Specimen in Spirits (1037) & (1052)] As far as I am aware, the
Tapacolo & Turco are only found in central Chile; in their hopping
powers they are well adapted to a country dotted over with bushes &
thickets.

MS. 65
Myothera cop
(2825)ValparaisoAugust & Sept:

This species I first
met
with | at Illapel, about half way
between Valparaiso & Coquimbo.
— I do not believe it occurs
further Southward, but in the desert country
as far as Copiapò it is not
uncommon. — In its habits, in almost every
respect, it resembles the
Tapacolo, whose place, in these more arid
parts, it may be supposed to
supply. —When

hopping its tail is not
carried in quite so erect a position,
as in that bird. —

With
respect to the geographical distribution of this genus; in the damp
& gloomy forests to the Southward, we have three species (2127:
2531: 3436). — in the intermediate country the Tapacolo & Turco,
and
a little more to the Northward, where the land is nearly a desert this
sixth species. — It is a singular circumstance, that Molina, when
describing the remarkable birds of Chile, says not a word about this
genus. — Was he at a loss to classify it?. — 1

2175
⌉
2176 |
female ⌋

Finch:
male: called by Molina "Phytotoma rara". Although to this day called
"rara", — or rare; the farmers complain that, such is far from the
case.
— It is a very destructive bird to the buds of fruit trees; is
quiet & solitary, haunts hedge rows & thick bushes, in the
manner of our bullfinch. — iris bright scarlet. — Specimen in Spirits
(1043). —

2177: 2178.

Fringilla V. 2132

2179: 2180.

Trochilus (latter male) V.
Page 60

2181 cop
2182 cop

Larks. both males

2183 cop

Water Hen: male:

2184

Bittern: female

2185

Woodpecker: female: called
by Molina "Carpintero"

2186ValparaisoAug: Sept: [1834]
MS.66

Icterus; frequents
marshy
grounds. builds in reeds | is found
[abundantly added] all
over Chili, as far as the valley
of Copiapò. — Is common also in la Plata. Molina
says it is called Thili or Chili,
& from this derives the name of the
country. —

2187.

do. female.

2188 cop.

Arenaria: male:

2189

Fringilla — male. —

2190 cop

Red throated creeper: male.

2191 cop

creeper female

2192 cop

do male

2193 cop

Long-tailed tit: V. 1469

2194 cop

Wren: female: Builds in
holes in walls; in October

2195

Fringilla: male: "Siu" of
Molina, often kept in cages.

2196

Emberiza. Male.

2197.
cop

Muscicapa: female: in small
flocks amongst the hills. In the
valleys of the Cordillera, at a
height of between 8 & 10,000 ft,
where the last remains of vegetation are
found, this bird exists, where no
other can. —

1 The discussion of this genus shows how Darwin was using his critical
discernment of specific differences in the different geographical
regions; the species were sharply defined in the changing habitats of
the vast continent. Darwin expands his criticism of Molina in both Beagle '39 and '45 in almost the same words in a footnote which ends: "Was
he
at a loss how to classify them? and did he think that silence was the
more prudent course? It is one more instance of the frequency of
omission by authors, on those very subjects where it would be least
expected. "
It will be noted that Darwin alludes to the genus as Myothera in the O.N.s, but in both Beagle '39 and '45 the genus has
become Pteroptochus, Rittlitz. He had therefore written the
O.N.s before he had this new ruling.

Even
in the Cordillera of Copiapò it was present! Hops & flies about
(like a Stonechat) the streams & marshy spots; expands tail,
especially on alighting on stone or ground, like a fan. — Is this the
same species as (2128), which was always seen on the beach of Chiloe:
if so an open place must be its attraction. —

2198 cop

Muscicapa: female: V. 1819

2199 cop

Muscicapa: female

2200 cop

Swallow. male

2201 cop

do. — do —
other species

2208
copValparaisoAug: Sep: [1834]

Muscicapa. (same as 903).
Has a large geographical range,
being found from la Plata, round by
Tierra del Fuego to Northern Chili at
Copiapò. It is everywhere common, —

MS. 67

is a most quiet, | tame
inoffensive little bird. Feeds on the ground;
frequents sand dunes, sandy
beaches & rocky coasts. — May be said
never willingly to leave the
close neighbourhead
of the sea; but, as happens with Furnarius (1823) the broad stony beds
of the torrents in Chile, have tempted it inland. Is said to build in
low bushes.

2220 cop

Dove. female

2296 cop

Myothera. V. 2172

2297 cop

Furnarius. V. 1222

2298
cop

Tufted tit; is tolerably
common: is found also in Patagonia
& T. del Fuego:
Habits like a Parus, hopping about bushes. I found in August its nest,
which was placed in a bush, was small soft & simple. —

I may here also
add a list of the few birds I saw in crossing the Andes to Mendoza, at
a height which could not have been less than 8000 ft: at the upper
limit of vegetation: Condor: Fringilla 1615: Fringilla 2015:
Furnarius
1823: Muscicapa 2197: and at about 10,000 ft. a Trochilus, species
unknown. |

Myothera. — not common. —
called by the Chilotans Cheuqui; — there
is a very close resemblance in habits, & even in plumage, to the
Cheucau (2127). A resemblance — which the nearly similar name would
appear to indicate. Forest. East coast of Chiloe

2479⌉
2480⌋

Woodpecker. Male &
female, shot up on a mountain, in the
Peninsular of Tres Montes.

2481

Dove

Hab: — do — do

2501

Curlew: male: this bird is
very abundant on all the
mud-banks, which surround
parts of Chiloe: as the flock rises, a shrill note is uttered by each
bird — interesting species allied to N. Hudsonius [Note added in
margin.] N. = Numenius

2502
cop

Wren: male: Inhabits the
impervious mass of decaying vegetable matter in
the interior
parts of the forest amongst the
Islands of the Chonos
Archipelago. It hops about in a skulking manner, & every now &
then utters its strange & loud notes. — This bird frequents the
same kind of places with the Myothera. Does not the size of its coarse
legs & beak point out some distant alliance? This wren is (if I
remember) the same as that of Port Famine; I am told also it has been,
but most rarely seen in central Chili

2503

Trochilus: male? V 2134. —

2531
cop
MS.69

Myothera: male: commonly
called by the English the Barking
bird, & by the Chilotan
Indians "Guid-guid" — It is abundant in
the forests of the West coast, from
Concepcion, to | some way South of
the Peninsular of Tres Montes. In
Chiloe, where this specimen was
shot, they are very common; at intervals in almost every part, a noise precisely like the whelping bark of a puppy may be heard. From this resemblance
arises its English name. — When walking in a pathway or along the
beach, suddenly the barking will be heard close by; in vain may a
person intently watch the thicket, whence, every now & then the
noise proceeds; in vain may he try, by beating the bushes, to see its
author; at other times by standing still, especially within the
forest,
the bird will hop close by. It is rather shyer than the Cheucau, but in
its manners & general appearance very closely resembles that Bird.
Like the Turco of Chili it is with difficulty made to take flight. — Is
said to build its nest amongst sticks close to the ground; — The
nature
of the country offers good reason, why this bird & the Cheucau,
build in such a different manner from the Tapacolo & Turco; in
these forest[s], it would be impossible to make a deep hole, in other
than extremely humid soil. [Note B added, between the two (a)s on
verso Specimen of Barking bird in Spirits (1157)] In my rough notes on the
Chonos Islds, I describe the strange noises, which may commonly be
heard within, yet without destroying the silence of those gloomy
forests. The whelping of the Barking bird, & the sudden whew-whew
of the Cheucau, sometimes

come from afar & sometimes from close by; the
little black wren adds its cry. The Certhia follows the intruder,
screaming & twittering.

MS. 69 verso

The Humming
bird, darts from side to side emitting like | an insect its shrill
chirp. And lastly from the top of some high tree, the indistinct, but
plaintive note of the white-tufted Muscicapa. (1819) may perhaps be
noticed.1

MS.
69(a) verso[added later]

These forms appear to our
eyes singular to be the common
birds. throughout an extensive
country. In T. del Fuego the Certhia
& Troglodytes
were the two most abundant kinds. — In central Chile both are found,
but extremely in few numbers. — In that country (& in a like manner
in a like case in other countries) one is apt to feel surprise that a
species should have been created, which appears doomed to play
so very
insignificant a part in the great scheme of nature. One forgets, that
these same beings may be the most common in some other region, or might
have been so in some anterior period, when circumstances were
different. — Remove the Southern extremity
of America, & who would
have supposed, that Certhia, Troglodytes, Myothera, Furnarius had been
the common birds over a great country. — 2 |

MS. 70

2555: cop
2556: cop.

Myothera; latter
number is
a male: stomach almost full of
large seeds & remnants of a
few insects. — Valdivia; thick
forests; January.

2821 cop

Coot. Concepcion.

2822 cop

Hawk:
male:
Hab. do

2823

Partridge; shot in the
lofty Cordillera of Coquimbo, only a
little below

1 With the help of Dr. Robert Stauffer and Dr. Sydney Smith, these "rough
notes" have been identified with the contents of Vols. 30 i and ii,
and
Vols. 31 i and ii, C U.L. Handlist. (See p. 204 above, draft
II of Darwin's ornithological writing.) Much work remains to be done on
these volumes, which contain the consecutive accounts of all Darwin's
specimens in every realm, written on board H.M.S. Beagle shortly after the time of their collection. Here we can see the gaps in
the numerical record in the O.N.s filled by other types of specimens.
The ornithological portions are what Darwin had in front of him when
compiling the O.N.s, and indeed he often copied passages almost
verbatim. If it is now agreed that the O.N.s were written during the
last months of the voyage, apart from the additions clearly made when
within reach of expert opinion in England, then changes of Darwin's
point of view or traces of early pointers towards evolution, may still
be found in these volumes 30 and 31, which ante-date the O.N.s.

2 This passage on species range and note on reverse of MS. 70, p. 260,
show how much and for how long a time this question of distribution was
exercising Darwin's mind. He noticed both how common species continued
over extensive areas, and how widely divergent genera were sparcely
represented far from those regions where they are or were common. (Synallaxis and Scytalopus.) In B. '39, p. 353, this discussion is somewhat enlarged, and he still remarks
"One wonders why a distinct species should have been created." We can
see this in the light of later knowledge as a very transparent curtain
to evolutionary views far advanced. But I believe that already by
1834-35 there were questions being asked in the O.N.s that could only
have been based on a groping belief in some form of descent with
modification. I have looked up the equivalent passage in the early
draft in Vol. 31 i, C.U.L. Handlist p. 277, reverse, Wilmot
paper, 1828. Darwin writes from Valparaiso, dated Aug.-Sep. 1834: "It
appears to me surprising how many of the birds of T. del Fuego &
Patagonia are common in Chili" On p. 278 he writes: "The ornithology
of
the valleys on the Eastern slopes differ to a certain extent from the
Pacifick sides." Here is a dated expression of surprise, and a dated
search for species ranges and differentiation which should dispel for
ever talk of random observations; Darwin was already seeking for an
explanation of the origin of species.

the line of perpetual snow.
— At a similar height, in the
nearly absolutely desert mountains of
Copiapò, I saw
a covey of five rise together. On
the wing the[y] [made del.] uttered much noise & flew
like grouse: were wild: are said never to descent to the lower
Cordillera — Coquimbo

2824 cop

Myothera. Turco. V. 2172

Hab. do

2825 cop

do. (diff.
species) V. P.64 or No.2174. —

do

2826 cop

Furnarius. V. 1823

do

2827 cop

do
V. 1467

do

2828 cop

Grey bird: male: very
common in the worst Traversias, or
deserts:

do

2829

Fringilla

Coquimbo

N.B.

Before leaving the coast of
Chili, I will give a list of all
the birds I saw in
the neighbourhead of the valley of Copiapò, in Lat. 27°. 20 S. As, a
short way to the Northward of this, the desert of Atacama commences,
where nothing can exist, this valley makes an important boundary in the
country & no doubt limits the distribution of many birds. —
Fringilla: 1615: 2177: Thenca 2169: & white tailed bird closely
allied to do: 2193: Wren 2194: 2197: Dove: 2163: Lanius 2124:
Icterus
2186: Scolopax-Perdrix: Fringilla 2017: 2825: 2172: 2125: 2297:
1823:
Swallow. 2200: Hawk. 2014: Caracara 2029: & vulgaris:

Condor:
Partridge 2823: the common kind, although so abundant in the next
valley to the S. of Guasco is never seen here. |

[These two lines
deleted with two oblique lines.]

MS.
70(a) verso

It appears to me, that when
the lists & collections of
birds made in the different
parts of S. Southern America, are compared, a large number will be
found to have surprisingly large geographical ranges. No doubt the
similarity in physical constitution of the country; over T. del Fuego
& the whole west coast as far north as Concepcion; & again,
between Patagonia, the lofty valleys of the Cordillera, & northern
Chili; & lastly but in a much lesser degree; between la Plata
&
central Chili, is the chief cause of this fact. — I should observe,
that in the few cases, where I have spoken of Lima, (Lat 12°) as the
Northern Habitat of any species; it is probable, that the real
boundary
lies ten degrees further north, (near C. Blanco) where the arid open
country of Peru is converted into the magnificent forest land of
Guyaquil.1 — |

MS. 71

3189 cop

Petrel. Callao Bay, — Lima

3190 cop

Petrel. Iquiqui. Peru

3191 cop

Plover. near sea beach. do.

3204 cop

Tyrannus. — Lima. —

[The writing of the
five Galapagos pages is almost
uncorrected and well written, suggesting a new pen and time for
reflection.]

The Archipel: of the
Galapagos: end of Sept &
part of Oct: 1835

1 This note added on reverse of
MS. 70, is
clearly written before Darwin had had time for a full
comparison of his lists and collections of birds. In Vol. 29 i, C.U.L.
Handlist, p. 41 (Fincher 1836 Watermark) occur Tables of ranges of birds crossing
or not crossing the Andes, showing the direction of his thought soon
after his return home.

These
islands are scattered over a space of ocean, included between 125 miles
of Latitude & 140 of Longitude. They are situated directly beneath
the Equator and about 500 miles from the coast of S. America. The
constitution of the land is entirely Volcanic; and the climate being
extremely arid, the islands are but thinly clothed with nearly
leafless, stunted brushwood or trees. On the windward side however,
& at an elevation between one & two thousand feet, the clouds
fertilize the soil; & it then produces a green & tolerably
luxuriant vegetation. In such favourable spots, & under so genial a
climate, I expected to have found swarms of various insects; to my
surprise, these were scarce to a degree which I never remember to have
observed in any other such country. Probably these green Oases,
bordered by arid land, & placed in the midst of the sea, are
effectually excluded from receiving any migratory colonists. However
this may arise, the scarcity of prey causes a like scarcity of
insectivorous birds & the green woods are scarcely tenanted by a
single animal. The greater number of birds haunt, and are adapted for,
the dry & wretched looking thickets of the coast land: here
however
a store of food is laid up.

GalapagosMS. 72

Annually, heavy torrents of rain at one particular
season fall;
grasses and other plants | rapidly shoot
up, — flower, & as rapidly
disappear. The seeds however lie
dormant, till the next
year, buried in the cindery soil. Hence these Finches are in number of
species & individuals far preponderant over any other family of
birds.1 Amongst the species of this family there reigns (to
me) an inexplicable confusion. Of each kind, some are jet black, &
from this, by intermediate shades, to brown; the proportional number,
in all the black kinds is exceedingly small; yet my series
of
specimens would go to show, that, that color is proper to the old cock
birds alone. — On the other hand — Mr. Bynoe & Fuller assert, they
have each a small jet black bird of the female sex. — 2 Moreover a gradation in form of the bill, appears to me to exist. —
There is no possibility of distinguishing the species by their habits,
as they are all similar, & they feed together (also with doves) in
large irregular flocks. — I should observe, that with respect to the
probable age of the smaller birds, that in no case were any of the
feathers imperfect, or bill soft, so as [to] indicate immaturity, &
on the other hand — in no case — were the eggs in the ovarium of the
hen birds much developed. — I should suppose the season of incubation
would be two or three months later. —

1 The interest in the capture of the specimens during the voyage was
evidently shared by other members of the expedition. Discussions must
have taken place—or perhaps Darwin sometimes maintained silence to
preserve the peace. Captain FitzRoy's account of the birds of the
Galapagos is worth quoting in this respect.
"All the birds that
live on these lava-covered islands have short beaks, very thick at the
base, like that of a bullfinch. This appears to be one of those
admirable provisions of Infinite Wisdom by which each created thing is
adapted to the place for which it is intended. In picking up insects,
or seeds which lie on hard iron-like lava, the superiority of such
beaks over delicate ones, cannot, I think, be doubted …" Voyage
of the Beagle, Vol. II: 503, 1839.

2 Opposite this passage in
margin is
written "analogous [or analogues] to Mr. Blyth's case."

These
birds are closely allied in appearance to the Thenca of Chile (2169) or
Callandra of la Plata (1216). In their habits I cannot point out a
single difference; — They are lively inquisitive, active run fast,
frequent houses to pick the meat of the Tortoise, which is hung up,
— sing tolerably well; are said to build a simple open nest. — are very tame, a character in common with the other birds: I imagined however its note or cry was rather different from the Thenca of Chile?
— Are very abundant, over the whole Island; are chiefly tempted up
into
the high & damp parts, by the houses & cleared ground.

I
have specimens from four of the larger Islands; the two above
enumerated, and (3349: female. Albermarle Isd.) & (3350: male:
James Isd). — The specimens from Chatham & Albermarle Isd appear to
be the same; but the other two are different. In each Isld. each kind
is exclusively found: habits of all are indistinguishable.
When I recollect, the fact that the form of the body, shape of scales
& general size, the Spaniards can at once pronounce, from which
Island any Tortoise may have been brought. When I see these Islands in
sight of each other, & [but del.] possessed of but a
scanty stock of animals, tenanted by these birds, but slightly
differing in structure & filling the same place in Nature, I must
suspect they are only varieties.

GalapagosMS. 74

The only fact of a similar
kind of
which I am aware, is the constant |
asserted difference — between the
wolf-like Fox of East & West
Falkland Islds.

[1835 Sep-Oct]

— If there is the slightest
foundation for these remarks the
zoology of Archipelagoes — will be
well worth examining; for such facts
[would inserted] undermine the stability of Species.1

3308 cop

Yellow breasted Tyrannus:
Female: Chatham Isld:

3309 cop

Scarlet
do.
Male

3310

Wren
Male

1 Sir Gavin de Beer has pointed out to me that in Evolutionary Notebook
I, begun in July, 1837, there is a further clue which helps to date the
Galapagos passage. Page 7

(Icterus 3320: Male. jet
black).(3321: 3322 Males) (3323
Female).
This is the only bird, out of the number which compose the large
irregular flocks, which can be distinguished from its habits. — Its
most frequent resort is hopping & climbing about the
great
Cacti, to feed with its
sharp beak, on the fruit & flowers. — Commonly however it alights
on the ground & with the Fringilla in the same manner, seeks for
seeds. The rarity of the jet black specimens is well exemplified in
this case; out of the many brown ones which I daily saw, I never could
observe a single black one, besides the one preserved. Mr. Bynoe
however has another Specimen; Fuller in vain tried to procure one. — I
should add that Specimen (3320) was shot when picking together with a
brown one, the fruit of a Cactus.

3324

Fringilla. Male. (Young?)

3325

do — Female. — |

Galapagos—
MS. 75

3326

Fringilla: Female: there
were very many individuals of
exactly the same plumage. —

3327

Fringilla — Male

3328

do — Female

3329

do — do

3330

… Male: ) (3331 Female)
(3332 Male). — This species is well
charac-

of Note-book I, (Bulletin of the B.M.
Historical
Series, 2: No. 2, 1960), consists of the
following remarks:
"Let a pair be introduced and increase slowly, from many enemies, so
as
often to intermarry, who will dare say what the result.
"According to this view, animals on separate islands, ought to become
different if kept long enough apart, with slightly differ[ent]
circumstances. — Now Galapagos tortoises, mocking birds, Falkland fox,
Chiloe fox. — English and Irish Hare. —"
The Galapagos passage in the O.N.s must have been written before Darwin
knew of the Irish and English Hare, for the "only facts of a similar
kind" of which he was aware when he wrote this much quoted passage,
were the differences between the East and West Falkland Foxes.
There is also a passage in the last of the small pocketbooks Darwin
carried with him for immediate notes on the voyage, in which at any
rate some of the entries date from the last lap home, though others may
be of later date. There are notes on the islands of Ascension and St.
Helena, and quotations from conversations with Sir A. Smith and Sir J.
Herschel, both of whom he met at the Cape of Good Hope. In this
pocket-book he writes:—"Ascension, vegetation? Rats and Mice: at
St.
Helena there is a native Mouse."
Here the idea originating in the Galapagos is being applied to islands
visited later in the homeward journey.

terized by its curious
beak. — Is a true Fringilla in its
habits. — I only saw this bird in one
Island. — James Isld — & in one part
alone of it. — Was
feeding in considerable numbers with the other species. Mr. Bynoe has a
much blacker variety. — [Capt. FitzRoy's specimen comes from same isld
— written in margin.]

3333
3334
3335
3336

Fringilla. — Male
⌉
N B. The
Gross-beaks are very injurious
do —
do
|
to the cultivated land; they stock
do — do
|
up
seeds & plants, buried six inches
do — do
⌋
beneath
the surface. —

3337

do
— Female. — Upper Mandible
is in Pill Box. (3361)

3338

do
— do

3339

do
— do

3340

Male

3341.

Fringilla. Male. — I
saw specimens with precisely similar
plumage, which were females

Tyrannus:
Male: I believe this species is certainly distinct from the scarlet
breasted one; (& its yellow breasted female?) (3309)

3346 cop

Sylvia. Male. Frequently
near the coast. —

3347 cop

do. —
do.

3348 cop

do Female

3349 cop
3350 cop

Thenca. Female. Albermarle
Isd ⌉
do — Male — James Isd
⌋
V. 3306

3351.
3352 cop
3353
Galapagos

Water Hen: Female ⌉
do. Female | This
is I believe, the only bird
which is exclusively
do. Male
⌋
found in the high & damp | parts of Charles
&
Jame's Isld. — It frequents in numbers the damp beds of
Carex & other plants; uttering loud & peculiar crys. — There
is
no water in these parts, but the soil is humid. — Is said to lay from 8
to 12 eggs. — iris bright scarlet: is called Gallinita del monte. —

3354 cop

Charadrius. Female (rather
less British specimen Gould. but
accords in all its markings)

3355 cop

Tringa — Male

3356
cop

Swallow: Male: This bird
was seen in small numbers near some
bold rocky precipices on the coast, in
one part of James Isd. & no
where else. —

3357 cop

Charadrius. Female. —
AEgialitis semipalmata

3358: cop 3359

[Inserted Pelidna
minutilla] Fringa. both Females. —
Same as N. American Species.

3362

Contents of the stomach of
a Flamingo: these
sphaerico-concretionary globules
appeared to me to be worth examining; they were involved in mucous
matter, besides which the Stomach contained nothing. — The Bird was
shot in a shallow, saltwater Lagoon. — Throughout this archipelago
there is very little Calcareous matter. —

Anthus. was shot by Fuller
on James Isd: it was the only one
specimen seen during our whole residence. It is described as rising
from the
ground suddenly
& again settling on the ground. — Showed in its flight long wings,
like a Lark; uttered a peculiar cry. — Its structure appear[s] very
interesting.

V. Infra

Specimen for dissection
(1309) in Spirits. —

3375
cop

Sterna shot in the ocean at night, some hundred
miles from land in the Pacifick.

(a)

(a) [MS. 76 verso: ]
Terns
have been supposed not to
go far to sea: Seventy miles off the R. Negro coast of Patagonia I saw
some:
and 120 miles from the nearest land off Bahia Brazil, there was a flock
of the snow white kind fishing, late in the evening.

3413

Bird, common. New Zealand

3591
cop

Land Rail; very common on dry low coral small
Islands of Cocos; excepting Snipe, only bird without web-feet. —

Galapagos
MS. 77

To
conclude with the Ornithology of the Galapagos, I have reason to
believe, the joint collection of Mr | B[y]noe Fuller & myself
include all the land birds. There are no Hawks besides the Caracara:
there are no Humming birds. — On the coast only one species of Gull,
Tern, Duck: Heron, and two Bitterns all of which I have. — The
Flamingo: Mother Cary's chicken: Procellaria 3190, & other
species:
[Frigate Bird in margin] Common Pelican & Gannet of coast
of Peru, & other Gannet, black & white found in the Pacifick:
Amongst the small Waders Mr Bynoe & Fuller possess species which I
have not. I believe this the only imperfect (by 3 or 4 species) part of
our Catalogue. —

Whether
the Flora of these Islands is S. American; or differs from it, in a
like manner as Juan Fernandez does, which is much less further removed,
I do not know: but the Ornithology to my eyes resembles that of the
temperate parts of that Continent. —

Tameness
of Birds

There is one fact which is
extremely singular in the Natural
History of these Islds; it is the tameness of all the land birds. It
is common
to the Thenca, to all the
Finches, to the Sylvia, the Tyranni,
the Doves & the Caracaras.1 In Charles Isd., which had
been inhabited some 6 years [Altered from has now been inhabited 6 years] a boy with a long stick, sits down by a
well & kills as many doves & Finches as he wishes. — There is
not a bird which cannot be killed by a switch & sometimes by a Hat
or Cap. — I have pushed, with the muzzle of my gun, a Caracara off the
branch, on which it [corrected from he] was sitting. The
Thenca has drank water, out of the back or shell of a Tortoise, held in
my hand, & has so been lifted from the ground; I have even tried
to
catch them by the legs, but failed. In attempting to explain this, we
must remark |

1 Obliquely in margin is written: "Will the Furnarius ever learn not to
bore the walls." Also: "Rooks with guns". An early indication of
thought on the problem of the inheritance of instincts.

that no rapacious hawks or
quadrupeds are found here; the
only large animal is the harmless
Tortoise. Do the birds mistake Man,
for this huge Reptile?1 It must however be remembered2 that these Islds for the last hundred years, have been frequently
visited by Whaling & other vessels; & the Sailors wandering
through the woods in search of Tortoises, always take delight in
knocking
down the small birds.3 Excepting the often described
stupidity of some pelagic birds; in only one other place, have we
seen, during our voyage, an exemplification of a similar fact &
that was in E. Falkland Isd. — The extraordinary tameness of the black
Furnarius, has been remarked on since the time of Pernetty to the
present
day.4 M. Lesson [likewise added] mentions it. But
it
is not peculiar to that bird. It is seen in the Caracara, Snipe &
Goose. When lying down, on the rocky hills the Thrush & [Emberiza del,
possibly 'birds' added] hop all around & close to
you. Even the true Hawks are not very wild.5 It is the more
remarkable in this Isd. as it is tenanted by true Hawks & Foxes,
& has long been visited by Man.6 This tameness & especially amongst the Water-fowl is strongly
contrasted with the habits of the same birds in T. del Fuego. In that
country, for ages past, they have been disturbed by the savage
inhabitants.7 Does the disposition or instinct of a bird
gradually alter from any cause acting on successive generations? I must confess, that on the desert banks of the S. Cruz
(which probably had never been ascended [before us del.] by
other Europaean before us) the Goose & Duck which at the Falklands
are so tame, there were as wild as similar birds
in England.

MS. 79(a)verso

They
might however | have been migratory
from T. del. Fuego. — The
subject does not seem to me of very easy explanation.
— |

MS. 79

Frigate Bird. [The
Frigate bird passages have
been much corrected and two sections deleted. Two additions were made
on separate page, one

1 "Like sparrow does cow"
very faintly
in margin.

2 Faint suggested alterations
are
written over these words: "This is perhaps" and "This is more
surprising". In Beagle '39, p. 476 the sentence runs: "It
is surprising that the change has not been greater." In B. '45, p. 399, "It is surprising that they have not become wilder."

5 A further faint insertion in margin occurs at this point a probable
reminder for the final writing of the script for the printer. "In time
of Pernety Malouines like Galapagos." Malouines was the old name for
the
Falkland Islands until ceded to Britain in 1771.

6 Between the lines in this sentence are two almost illegible fragments:
"turtles in land" and "increase probably owing to settlers".

7 Obliquely in margin is added: "Black
necked Swan". In Beagle '39, P. 477, Pernety's Voyage
aux Iles Malouines,
Vol.II, p. 20 is referred to in a footnote, and quoted in the text.
Pernety relates that it was impossible to kill the black-necked swan;
Darwin comments: "It is rather an interesting fact, that this is a
bird of passage, and therefore brings with it the wisdom learnt in
foreign countries." In Beagle '45 the wording is slightly
different, no footnote is given to Pernety, whilst further facts are
recorded bearing on the tameness of birds and the wildness as regards
man.

afterwards
deleted. I give below firstly the original draft, including all
deletions but indicating where the larger ones occur, and without
corrections. Secondly I give the final form, with corrections and
additions, and without the deleted sections.]

[Original draft.]
Amongst the Galapagos Island[s], during several occassions, I was
interested by watching, the habits of this bird, which partly explained
to me, the cause of its peculiar figure. [del.] The Frigate bird, when
it sees any object floating on the surface of the water, descends, with
depending head, from a great height, like an arrow; and at the instant
of seizing with its long beak the prey, it turns upwards, by the aid of
its tail & long wings, with the most extraordinary dexterity. The
bird never touches the water with its wings, or even with its feet;
indeed I have not seen one, ever swimming on the water. [Point of
insertion of note (3) on separate page, and beginning of
second deletion.]

It
is a noble bird seen on the wing, either when soaring in flocks at a
stupendous height, or as showing their most perfect skill in
evolutions, when many are darting at the same floating morcel. If the
piece of meat sink above six inches beneath the surface, it is lost to
the Frigate Bird [Point of insertion of deleted addition (b) on
separate page, and end of second deletion.] (b) at Ascension this
bird is said to destroy great numbers of the young [tortoise del.]
turtle, as they come out of the eggs & run down to the sea. They
take them off the sand in the same manner, as I have described from the
surface of the water. One bird will swallow a considerable [number] one
after another without waiting.

[Final form of
Frigate
Bird passages, with corrections and additions, omitting three deleted
sections. There is a large encircled A in the margin opposite the
beginning, and a large square bracket.]

The
Frigate bird when it sees any object on the surface of the water,
descends in an inclined plane from a great height head foremost with
the swiftness of an arrow; and at the instant of seizing with its long
beak & outstretched neck the floating morcel, it turns upwards, by
the aid of its forked tail & long powerful wings, with
extraordinary dexterity. The bird never touches the water with its
wings, or even with its feet; indeed, I have never seen one swimming
on
the sea; one is led to believe that the deeply indented web between
its
toes is of no more use to it than are mammae [or the marsupial bones inserted]
in the male sex of certain animals; or the shrivelled wings beneath
the
wing-cases firmly soldered together of some coleopterous beetles. — The
Frigate is a noble bird, when seen, either soaring in a flock at a
stupendous height (at which times it merits the name of the Condor of
the ocean)1.

1 There is no discussion of
the Frigate
Bird in either Beagle '39 or '45, though it is figured and
discussed in Zool. of Beagle '41, where the analogies of the vestigial mammae and the marsupial
bones with the partial webbing of feet are omitted. I can find no
reason why the Frigate bird, over which Darwin had thought so much,
should be left out of the Journal of Researches. He uses the
argument in an evolutionary passage in The Origin, 1st
edition, p. 185, 1872 edition, pp. 142-143, where he writes: "What can
be

Petrel. Is excessively
abundant over whole Southern ocean: Do
not generally extend further
Northward than two or three degrees
North of the Tropic: but on the
coast of Peru saw them between
16°-17° S.

[Obliquely added in
margin:
— Cook New Zealand.] These bird[s] differ rather in their habits from
the greater number of their Congeners: agree most with Petrel (1335).
Are Social, constantly following a Ship in numbers. — are very tame, —
pass a good deal of their time swimming, seem thus to take their food.
Often dive to the depth of a foot or two; When quarrelling over any
offal — utter a variety of harsh crys, not loud. — Flight rather
slower, & more soaring than in many of the tribe,
very elegant;

MS.
79(a)verso

(a) as
it alights on surface of water,
expands tail like a fan. Although flying
all day on a moonlight night they
may be still
seen on the wing. — I was told by a Sealer that they, together with
(1335) & Mother Cary's Chicken, all build in the cliffs of South
Georgia; And that no other breeding place is known of. — They all
arrive very regularly in September & leave again in the Autumn. —
That the Albatross alone stay the Winter. —

The small
Blue Petrelcop

is found from Lat. 33° to
35° (agrees with Capt Cook's
statements) over whole Southern Ocean.
— Is wild, flight very rapid,
solitary, or not many together. [See
Lesson, written in margin.]
Mr. Stokes informs me that, these birds build in holes on the Landfall
Isd. in T. del Fuego. — These burrows are about a yard deep; they
occur
over half a mile inland. On stamping on the ground, many will fly out
of one hole —. Eggs white elongated, size of a Pidgeon. — |

MS. 80

Struthio
Rhea.

[The name is lightly
erased, and the paragraph is
preceded by an unclosed square bracket,
possibly connected with end of paragraph
mark,
MS. 83(b). Beagle, '39 closely follows the Ostrich passages,
pp. 105-110. Beagle, '45 is considerably condensed and altered, pp.
89-94.]

This
bird is well known to abound over the plains of Northern Patagonia
& the united Provinces of la Plata. It has not crossed the
Cordillera to the Westward; but I have seen it within the first range
of mountains on the Uspallata plains [elevated added] between
6 & 7000 ft. — The ordinary habits of the Ostrich are familiar to
everyone. They feed on vegetable matter; such as roots & grass. [Altered
from: '& in their stomachs I have frequently seen roots'.]
At
low water at Bahia Blanca, I have repeatedly [frequently del.]
seen three or four

plainer than that the webbed feet of ducks
and geese
are formed for
swimming? Yet there are upland geese with webbed feet which rarely go
near the water; and no one except Audubon has seen the frigate-bird,
which has all its four toes webbed, alight on the surface of the
ocean.… The webbed feet of the upland goose may be said to have become
almost rudimentary in function, though not in structure. In the
frigate-bird, the deeply scooped membrane between the toes shows that
structure has begun to change."
"Mammae in man & wings under
united elytra" are mentioned together in Darwin's Notebooks on
Transmutation of Species, Pt. IV, Bull. B.M.2: No. 5, Ed. by Sir Gavin de Beer, p. 148 MS, p. 177
print. As this
Notebook was written after 3rd October, 1838, the above passage in the
O.N.s must have preceded the Notebook by more than two years.

come down to the extensive
Mud banks which are dry at low
water. The Gauchos say it is for the sake of catching small fish. —

Although
the Ostrich in its habits is so shy, wary & solitary, &
although so fleet in its paces, it falls a prey, without much
difficulty to the Indian or Gaucho, armed with the Bolas. When several
horsemen appear in a semicircle it becomes confounded & does not
know, which way to escape. — [is its best line to take del.]
They generally prefer running against the wind; yet at the first start
they expand their wings & like a vessel, make all sail. — On a fine
hot day, I have seen Ostriches enter a bed of tall rushes & there
squat concealed, till quite closely approached on horseback.
It is not generally known that ostriches readily take to the water. —
Mr. King informs me that at the Bay of San Blas & at Port Valdes in
Patagonia he saw these birds swimming several times from island to
island. — They ran into the water both when driven down to a point,
& likewise of their own accord, when not frightened. —

MS.
81

The distance
crossed was about 200 yards, when swimming, very little of their
bodies appears |
above water, & their necks are
extended a little forwards,
Their progress is slow. — On two occassions, I saw some Ostriches —
swimming across the S. Cruz river, where its course was about
400 yards wide &
its stream rapid.

MS. 81verso

Capt Sturt also
in Australia, when descending the
Murrumbidgee, saw two Emus in the act of
swimming. [Inserted later.]

The
inhabitants who live in the country, readily distinguish, even at a
distance, the Cock bird from the Hen. The former is said to be larger
& darker coloured, & its head bigger. The ostrich, I believe
the Cock, emits a singular deep-toned hissing note; which cannot be
described. When I first heard it, standing in the midst of some sand
hillocks, I thought it came from some wild beast; It is a sound,
which,
it is not easy to tell whence it comes or from how far distant. — A
Gaucho assured me, that he had once seen a snow white or Albino variety
& that it was a most beautiful bird. — At Bahia Blanca, in the
months of September & October an extraordinary number of eggs, were
found all over the country. — The egg varies in colour from a pale
straw yellow to white. — The eggs either lie scattered about, which are
called by the Spaniards Huachos, & are never hatched, or are
collected together into a shallow excavation or nest. — Out of the four
nests, which I happened to see, three contained twentytwo eggs each,
& the fourth twenty-seven. — In one day's hunting on horseback
sixty-four [74 del.] were found; fortyfour [44 del.]
of these were in two nests, & the remaining twenty scattered
Hauchos. The Gauchos unanimously affirm, that the male bird alone
hatches the eggs & for some time afterwards accompanies the young.
—

MS.
82

I conceive there is not the | slightest
doubt on the
subject. The cock when on the nest
lies very close, I
have myself almost ridden over one. It is asserted that occassionally
at such times, they are fierce & even dangerous, that they have been

known
to attack a man on horseback, trying to kick & leap on him. — My
informer pointed out to me an old man, whom he had seen much terrified
by one chasing him. — [Chacing corrected to chasing.] I
observe in Burchell's Travels in S. Africa, he remarks. "having killed
a male Ostrich, & the feathers being dirty, it was said by the
Hottentots to be a nest bird". I understand in the Zoological Gardens,
that the male Emu also, takes charge of the nest, & therefore this
habit is common to the family.1

The
Gauchos also unanimously affirm, that several females lay in one nest.
I have been positively told, that four or five hen birds, have been
seen to go, in the middle of the day, one after the other, to the same
nest. I may add also that it is believed in Africa, that two females
lay in one nest. (Burchell. Vol. I. P.280, — )

Although
this habit at first appears very strange, I think the cause is
sufficiently obvious. — The number of eggs in the nest varies from
twenty to forty & even to fifty; [Beginning of amendment (a) MS. 82(a) verso.]2 and according to Azara3 to seventy or eighty. Now though it is probable from the number of
eggs, found in one district being so extraordinarily large in
proportion to that of the parent birds, and likewise from the state of
the Ovarium of the hen, that she may, in the course of the season lay
that number, yet the time required must be very long. — Azara states
that a female in a state of domestication laid seventeen eggs, each at
the interval of three days, one from another. — If the hen were obliged
to hatch her own eggs, before the last was laid, the first probably
would have been addled; but if each laid a few eggs, at successive
periods, in different nests, and several hens, as is stated to be the
case, combined together, then the eggs in one collection, would be
nearly of the same age. — [Under this view, each cock bird, or at least
the greater number del.] If the number of eggs in one of
these nests, is as I believe not greater [altered from the same] on an average than the numbers laid by one female in the
season, then there must be as many nests as females, and each cock
bird, will [in its turn del.] have its fair share in the
labour of incubation; and that during a period when the females could
not sit, on account of not having finished laying. — [End of
amendment (a). See
Beagle '39 p. 107, Beagle '45, p.
91-2] |

MS.
83

I have before mentioned the great number
of Huachos or
scattered eggs; so that in one day's hunting, the third part were
found
in this state. — It appears odd, that so many should be wasted. — Does
it not arise from the difficulty of several females, associating
together & persuading an old Cock to undertake the office of
incubation? It is evident, that there must at first be some degree of
association between at least two females;

1 The last sentence, referring
to the
Zoological Gardens, is added later, inserted between the lines.

else
all the eggs would remain scattered over the wide plain at distances
far too great, to allow of the male collecting them into one nest. [Addition (b), MS. 83 (a) & (b).]
Some have believed
that the
scattered eggs were
deposited for the young birds to feed upon. This can hardly be the case
in America, because the Huachos although often times found addled &
putrid, are generally whole. — IP 1

Avestruz Petise [in
margin, and deleted]

[I give
below the final
corrected version of the story of Avestruz Petise.]

MS.
83

When at the R. Negro in
Northern Patagonia, I repeatedly heard the
Gauchos talking of a very rare bird which they called the Avestruz
Petise. They described it as being less than the common Ostrich (which
is there abundant) but with a very close general resemblance; they
said
its colour was "overo" or mottled & dark; & that its legs
were
shorter, & feathered lower down. It is more easily caught by the
bolas than the other species. The few inhabitants who have seen both
kinds affirm they can distinguish
them apart from a long distance.
—

MS.
85A
[intended for83A]

The eggs [of the small
species added]
appeared however
more generally known, and it was remarked
with surprise that they were very
little less [than those of the Rhea added]
but of a slightly different form & with a tinge of pale blue. —
Some eggs picked up on the plains of Patagonia agree pretty well with
this description, and I do not doubt are those of the Petise. — This
species occurs [most added] rarely on the plains bordering
the Rio Negro, but about a degree and a half further south.2

MS.
84

When at Port Desire in
Patagonia (Lat 48°) [Dec. 1833]
Mr. Martens shot
an ostrich; I looked at it forgetting, at the moment, in the most
unaccountable manner, the whole subject of the Petise, & thought it
was a two-third grown one of the common sort. — The bird was cooked
& eaten. — & my memory returned. Fortunately the Head neck
legs, one wing & many of the
larger feathers had been
preserved. |

MS.
84A
XXX

From the fragments a
surprisingly
good specimen has been put together,
and it is now
exhibited in the Museum of the Zoological Society. Mr. Gould, who in
describing this new species, has done me the honor of calling it after
my name, states that besides the smaller size & different colour of
the plumage the beak is of considerably less proportional dimension

1 The continuity of the discussion on the Ostrich given in the above
text, was only reached after one major deletion, and lesser
corrections. I give here the text of the long deletion, to be replaced
by (a), p. 82 (a). "now although it is probable from what I have seen
& heard of the state of the Ovarium of the Hen, & from the
number of eggs found in one district so [very del.]
extraordinarily large in proportion to that of the parent birds [query
owing to blot]
that she may lay that number in the season, yet the time she must
require is very long. — Before the last egg was laid the first would
probably be addled [decayed del.] — If we believe that all
the [each del.]
females lay each a few eggs in several nests; the eggs in such nests,
might be collected within a short period. — We shall thus explain the
extraordinary number of eggs found in any district; and moreover | each cock bird some time during the whole season of laying [incubation del.]
will be employed in incubation; and at a period, when the greater
number of females could not sit, owing to not having finished laying. —"

than
in the common Rhea; that the tarsi are covered with differently shaped
scales, and that they are feathered six inches beneath the knee.1 In this latter respect, and in the broader feathers of the wing this
bird perhaps shows more affinity to the gallinaceous family, than any
other of the Struthioidae. — XXX | [End of later addition on p. 84a]

MS.
84

Amongst the Patagonian
Indians in the St. of Magellan we
found a half
Indian who had lived some years with the tribe, but had been born in
the Northern Provinces. I asked if he had ever heard of the Avestruz
Petise? He answered by saying "why there are none others in the
southern countries". — He affirmed that beyond doubt that the Avestruz
& the Avestruz Petise were distinct birds (I may observe that
Indians & such people are excellent practical naturalists). He
informed me, that the number of eggs in the nest of the Petise, was
considerably less than in the other, namely generally not more than
fifteen, & he asserted that more than one female deposited these
eggs. |

MS.
85

At S. Cruz we saw several
of these birds they were
excessively wary. I
think they could see a person approaching, when he is so far off as not
to distinguish the Ostrich. In ascending the river, few were seen but
in our quiet & rapid descent, many in pairs & by four's &
five's were observed. — It was remarked, & I think with truth, that
this bird does not expand its wings, when first starting at full speed
after the manner of the northern kind. The fact of these ostriches
swimming across the river has been mentioned. —

In
conclusion I may repeat that the Struthio rhea inhabits the country of
La Plata as far as a little south of the R. Negro in Lat. 41°: &
that the Petise takes its place in Southern Patagonia, the part about
the R. Negro being neutral territory. Wallis saw Ostriches at Bachelors
river (Lat 53°-54°) in the St. of Magellan, which must be the extreme
Southern possible range of the Petise. —

[Additional note (a) 85 (a)i.] M. D'Orbigny when at the Rio Negro made
great exertions
to procure this bird, but never had the good fortune to succeed.2 — The only notice I can find in any work of the existence of this
species, is in Dobrizhoffer's account of the Abipones. (A.D. 1749) He
says at Vol. I, p. 314. "You must know moreover that Emus differ in
size & habits in different tracts of land: for those that inhabit
the plains of Buenos Ayres and Tucuman are larger, and have

1 Darwin had recorded most of
these
differences himself nearly three years earlier. See below.

2 M. Alcide D'Orbigny,
traveller and
author of Voyage dans l'Amérique méridionale, 7 Tom. volumes,
Paris 1835-47 seems to have made a prior claim to the discovery of Rhea
Darwinii, so that Darwin's remark on his never procuring a
specimen has an added interest. In the Magazine of Natural History,
Vol. I, 1837, occurs the following note on p. 504.
"Notice respecting Rhea Darwinii Gould.
"We observe by a letter which lately appeared in one of the French
Journals, that M. D'Orbigny claims the right of having first described
the Rhea brought home by Mr. Darwin from S. America, and which Mr.
Gould named, a few months since, R. Darwinii. It appears that M.
D'Orbigny gave it the specific appellation of R. Pennata, but in his
letter he does not refer either to his published characters,
or to the specimen which he examined." M. D'Orbigny's claim seems to
have been based on no serious foundation.

black
white and grey feathers, those near to the Straits of Magellan are
smaller & more beautiful, for their white feathers are tipped with
black at the extremity, and their black ones in a like manner terminate
in white."

An account of the Abipones by
Dobrizhoffer went out to America [between
the year del.] 1749. Vol. I. p. 314. [Last two lines
lightly deleted.1 This brings the Ornithological Notes to an
end]

APPENDIX: THE AVESTRUZ
PETISE, RHEA DARWINII

The
final version of the Petise story given above, was only achieved after
considered changes had been made at different dates. J. Gould's
authoritative description of the new species was the last entry to be
added, after the remnants of the bird had been successfully assembled
and shown at the meeting of the Zoological Society in London in March
1837, when it became officially Rhea darwinii.

I
give below extracts of earlier drafts of the same story, for those who
want to examine in detail Darwin's assessment of evidence. He firstly
had to collect all the evidence available as to the existence of the
second species of South American ostrich, with details of its reported
range; secondly he had to reach certainty as to the identity of the
bird so inadvertently cooked and eaten at Port Desire.

Firstly I quote from
the C.U.L. Handlist,
Vol. 31, i, pp. 212-3, in which all Darwin's specimens are listed
chronologically, with entries recorded within a few months of the
events described.

The first mention of
the Petise follows
after lists of seaweeds, dated Jan. and Feb. 1834, thus recording
within six months his first knowledge of the bird from the frequent
reports of the Gauchos in August, 1833 in Northern Patagonia. Darwin
briefly describes the shooting of the Petise by Martens in December
1833 at Port Desire, adding:— "which I looking slightly at it
pronounced to be a young one of the common sort, —that is it appeared
to be 2/3 size of the common one. I also saw some live ones of same
size, but entirely forgot the Petise. I have since reclaimed the Head,
Legs & several feathers [specimen numbers] 1832 … 1836."
He notes the differently shaped scales on the legs, the lower
feathering, and describes the eggs of a bluish tint. He quotes the
Gauchos description of "overo "or speckled for the plumage. He writes
of their distribution:—"With the Patagonians at Gregory Bay Straits
of Magellan, 1834, there was a semi-Indian who had lived with them four
years. — He tells me there are no others, excepting the Petises in
these Southern parts." In the margin is written:—"Agrees with
Gauchos stating there to be many in S. José.

1 Martin Dobrizhoffer was for eighteen years a missionary in Paraguay,
and as Darwin says in his deleted note, went out in 1749. His work,
written in Latin, was first published in 1784, as well as a German
translation from Vienna. The English translation was published by John
Murray in 1822. Darwin's quotation from Dobrizhoffer ends after
describing the black and white tipped feathers.

that
like the other ostrich many females lay in one nest, but that mean
number of eggs in one nest is considerably less, namely not more than
15. — (The Post Desire egg was a Walcho.)

Whatever
Naturalists may say, I shall be convinced from such testimony. as
Indians & Gauchos, that there are two species of Rhea in S.
America. I bought from the Chinas some feathers & skin."

More than two years after the shooting of the
Petise,
Darwin added a
note on the back of p. 212, Handlist 31, i, dated April, 1836. "The Beagle sailed from Keeling Island on
April 12th, calling at Mauritius on the homeward journey." The note
was marked for insertion opposite the shooting incident:

"In
the plains of central Patagonia I had several opportunities of seeing
this ostrich: it unquestionably is a smaller & darker coloured
bird
than the Rhea. It is excessively wary: I think they can see
a
person approaching, when he is so far off as not to distinguish the
Ostrich; in ascending the river tracks etc etc were very abundant yet
we saw scarcely any: but when rapidly & quietly
descending, we saw many, both pairs, & 4s & 5s together. It was
observed, & justly, that this ostrich does not expand its wings, as
the Northern one, always does, when first starting at full speed:
takes
to the water readily; saw four crossing the river. where 400 yeards
wide & very rapid; & another day one. very little of the body
appears above water."

By April, 1836,
therefore Darwin was
convinced that the two species were 'unquestionably' different. The
ethological characters evidently had helped Darwin in his diagnosis.

I will now turn to the
early drafts of the Ornithological
Notes,
to compare them with this slowly-reached certainty:—it will be noted
that they differ slightly, but significantly, from the final version
given above.

First Draft of the
Ornithological Notes.

"When at the R. Negro
in Nothern Patagonia, Aug. 1833, I
repeatedly
heard the Gauchos talking of a very rare bird which they called Avestruz Petise. They described it as being less
than the common Ostrich (which is there common) but with a very close
general resemblance; its colour was described as "overo" or mottled
& darker; that its legs were shorter & feathered lower down.
Is
more easily balled, than the other species, — Its egg however is more
generally known, which is but very little smaller, than that of S.
Rhea, but of a faint blueish-green color. — The Gauchos affirm they can
distinguish the two kinds from a distance & that they are different
birds. They occur very rarely on the Southern plains of the R. Negro,
but that at about a degree & a half further South, they are
tolerably abundant. One Gaucho said he distinctly recollected having
seen one, many years before, near the mouth of the R. Colerado (to the
N of R. Negro). They are said to prefer the plains near the sea."

Darwin
then describes the shooting by Martens:—"I looked at it, forgetting
at
the moment, in the most unaccountable manner, the whole subject of the
Petise, & thought it was a two-third grown one of the common sort.
— The bird was cooked & eaten. — & my memory returned.
Fortunately the Head & neck & legs had been preserved. The legs
have different shaped scales & are feathered beneath the knees."
He continues with an account of the other differences as before, and
with the meeting the half-Indian in St. Gregory's Bay, Jan. 1834. "I
asked if he had ever heard of the Avestruz Petise? He answered by
saying 'Why there are none others in these Southern countries.' He
affirmed that beyond doubt that the Avestruz & the Avestruz Petise
were distinct birds (I may observe that Indians & such people are
excellent practical naturalists) … I procured a number of feathers
& a piece of the skin from the Indians.1 These are the
only specimens which may be considered as certainly belonging to the Petise. Although from what I heard here, & from
the rapidly increasing number of this species South of the R. Negro, it
is far most probable, that the specimen at Port Desire was a Petise.
>From the same reasoning, I believe all the ostriches seen on the banks
of the S. Cruz April-May 1834 (Lat: 50°) were Petises, & I
accordingly collected some feathers. Specimen Number (2004)."

It
is clear that in this early draft, Darwin had not yet reached a
complete assurance as to the identity of the Port Desire ostrich with
the Avestruz Petise; he still writes that the only specimens which may
be considered as certainly belonging to the Petise were those bought
from the Indians.

A comparison of these notes of varied dates
has convinced me that the order of writing them was as
follows:—firstly, the first entries in C.U.L. Handlist of
specimens, Jan.-Feb. 1834, whilst the events were still fresh in his
mind. Secondly the first drafts of the Ornithological Notes,
probably of several dates, but before April 2nd, 1836, when the Beagle
arrived at Keeling Island. Thirdly the dated addition to the C.U.L.
Handlist of April, 1836, when he was either at Keeling Island, or more likely,
on the voyage to Mauritius, between April 12th and April 29th, 1836. (See Itinerary of Voyage, p. 210.)

The
problem of the overlapping territories of the two Rheas remained lodged
in Darwin's mind awaiting solution for the next years, as the
references in the Transmutation Notebooks (B.M. Bull.)
(1837-9) clearly show. There is one entry in one of the small
pocketbooks of the voyage2 that is so relevant to the Petise story that I give it here; the
evidence of the other entries suggests that they were written before
reaching England. The passage occurs in one of the last small pocket-

1 In
Beagle Diary, opposite the date Jan. 30th, 1834, p. 207, he wrote:—"The whole population of the Toldos were arranged on a bank, having
brought with them Guanaco skins, Ostrich feathers etc."

books,
in which Darwin also quotes remarks of Sir J. Herschel and Sir Andrew
Smith at the Cape of Good Hope, May-June, 1836. This pocketbook is
slightly larger than most, measuring 4 in. x 6½ in. On the cover is
written in large ink letters by Darwin "Nothing for any Purpose" Front
and back covers have square white labels with R.N., also in his
writing, and "Range of Sharks" on the end one. Pencil and pen have
been
used; many pages have been cut out. On the inside of the front cover
is
written:—"The living atom having definite existence, those that have
undergone the greatest number of changes towards perfection (namely
Mammalia) must have a shorter duration, than the more constant. This
view supposes the simplest infusoria same since commencement of world."
The writing in ink of this passage is unusually neat, and the style
suggests the possibility of a copied quotation; but there was no
quotation marks. At anyrate, the thought conveyed was clearly one that
deserved preserving for future pondering. Then follow rough geological
notes on volcanic action, including the later islands visited in 1836.
On p. 79, wedged in between passages on volcanic theory, comes the
query:—"Ascencion vegetation? Rats & Mices. At St. Helena. There
is a native Mouse."

That Darwin did use
some of the small pocket
books for stray jottings after his return is certain, but I think it
can be proved that the following suggestions for pursuing lines of
enquiry in which the Petise figures so large, were written during the
voyage. For we know that he was rearranging and rewriting his
geological material for publication before reaching Cape Town,1;
these rough drafts must therefore have preceded
the
writing of the letter dated April
29th, 1836.

[Pocket
Book]
p. 127

"Speculate on neutral
ground for 2 Ostriches: bigger one
encroaches on
smaller. — change not progressive: produced at one blow, if one
species
altered: Mem: my idea of Volc. islands elevated. then peculiar plants
created, if for such mere points; then any mountain, one is falsely
less surprised at new creation for large — Australia. = if for volc.
isld
then for any spot of land. = Yet new creation affected by Halo of
neighbouring
continent:

p.
128

as
if any | creation taking place
over certain area
must have peculiar character: … Great contrast of two sides of
Cordillera, where climate similar. — I do not know botanically = but
picturesquely = Both N & S great contrast from nature of climate …
Go steadily through all the limits of birds and animals in S. America.

p.
129

Zorilla: | wide limit of
waders: Ascencion: Keeling: At sea
so commonly seen at long distances: generally first arrives:—

"New
Zealand rats offering in the history of rats, in the Antipodes a
parallel case. Should urge that extinct Llama owed its death not to
change of circumstances; reversed argument, knowing it to be a desert.

1 V. of B., 1945, p. 138, letter to his sister from Mauritius, Ap. 29th, 1836.
"Whilst we are at sea & the weather is fine, my time passes
smoothly because I am very busy. My occupation consists in rearranging
old geological notes: the rearranging generally consists in totally
rewriting them."

Tempted to believe animals
created for definite time: — not
extinguished by change of
circumstances. The same kind of relation
that common
ostrich bears to (Petise — & diff kinds of Fournillia[?] extinct
Guanaco to recent: in former case position, in latter time (or changes
consequent on lapse) being the relation, as in first cases distinct
cases inosculate so must we believe ancient ones: not gradual change or degeneration. from circumstances: if one species does change
into another it must be per saltum — or species may perish. This
representation [altered from inosculation] of species
important, each its own limit, and represented. — Chiloe creeper;
Furnarius, [Caracara del] Calandria. inosculation alone shows
not gradation: … | [See Addendum1 p. 278.]

[Pencil]
132

Propagation, whether
ordinary, hermaphrodite, or by cutting
an animal in two. (gemmiperous by
nature or by accident) we see an
individual divided
either at one moment or through lapse of ages. — Therefore we are not
so much surprised at seeing Zoophite producing distinct animals, still
partly united, & egg which becomes quite separate. Considering all
individuals of all species as each one individual divided by different
methods, associated life only adds one other method where the division
is not perfect. |

p.
133

"Dogs, Cats, Horses,
Cattle, Goat, Asses, have all run wild
& bred, no doubt
with perfect success. Showing how creation does not bear upon solely
adaptation of animals. — extinction in same manner may not depend. —
There is no more wonder in extinction of species than of individual. |
[2 pp. cut out.]

"When we see Avestruz two
species. certainly different. not
insensible change:
— yet one is urged to look to common parent? Why should two of the
most
closely allied species occur in same country? In botany instances
diametrically opposite have been instanced:"

More rough geological
notes follow, which must have preceded the "rewriting" described in
the
letter of April, 1836, already quoted (footnote p. 276). So that the
above notes on the Petise, interlarded with geological jottings,
acquire a hall-mark and can be safely dated before April 1836.

Changes of species
observed on the voyage up S. America's western
coast, where the barriers were apparent, were, I believe, more closely
noted and with increased interest and purpose, because of the
experience of the two Rheas, where no dramatic barriers divided the two
ranges. He already looked ahead into some of the difficulties to be
faced. Then, in 1835, came the shock of seeing species differentiation
through isolation actually in progress in the different islands of the
Galapagos Archipelago, when I think it fair to say that the smouldering
ideas broke into a small flame.

On specimen no: 711, and
the word "inosculate" (see above, p.
212 and
p. 277). In a letter to John Stevens Henslow written from Monte Video
on Nov. 24th, 1832, describing a consignment of specimens sent home to
Henslow, Darwin wrote:—"There is a poor specimen of a bird, which to
my unornithological eyes, appears to be a happy mixture of a lark
pidgeon & snipe. — Mr. Mac Leay himself never imagined such an
inosculating creature." Bracketed above the line after the word snipe,
Darwin added "No: 711". The bird is described in Z. of B.,
1841, as Tinochorus rumicivorus. The letter to Henslow gives
a dated proof that by November 1832, Darwin was familiar with Macleay's Horæ Entomologicae,
published 1819-1821. The use of the word "inosculating" in
conjunction
with Macleay's name shows that Darwin had studied the diagrammatic,
semi-mystical scheme of creation of Horae Entomologicæ,
though a judgment of its usefulness to him may be suggested in the use
of the subsequent word "imagined". In another context, however, this
work may have served to stimulate Darwin to start his eight years'
study of the Cirripedes, 1846-1854 (see Sydney Smith, Linn. Soc. Nov.
8th, 1962). Again, in the early note-book quoted above, p. 277, the
word "inosculat", or "inosculating", occurs three times in the
discussion on species' changes. Loren C. Eiseley has suggested that
Darwin took the word from E. Blyth; probably Blyth also was well
acquainted with Macleay's work, and he, like Darwin, drew on Macleay's
terminology.

2.

On specimen no: 1028 (see
above, p. 213.) The capital P
preceding Pezoporus refers to Phalcobænus,
d'Orbigny's
generic name; John Gould altered the name to Milvago pezoporus,
see Z. of B., p. 13, where the bird is discussed.